democratic or republican issue. this was not an issue. 2006, then president george w. bush signed an extension to the voting rights act flanked by republicans like bill frist and democrats like nancy pelosi and joe biden. that law passed the senate 98-0. not a single no vote. as he signed it, president bush, the standard bearer for the republican party at the same time made this critical point. the right of ordinary and men and women to determine their own political future lies at the heart of the american experiment. and it is a right that has been won by the sacrifice of patriots. in four decades since the voting rights act was first passed, we made progress. toward equality, yet the work for a more perfect union is never ending. union is union is never ending