WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement after the Senate failed to move forward the “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.”

“I am bitterly disappointed that the Senate failed to pass critical voting rights legislation, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. Congress has a moral obligation to act to protect the right of all Americans to vote in a free and fair election in 2022 and always. This fundamental right to vote must be protected by the U.S. Congress, Department of Justice and our federal courts.  

“In the wake of record voter turnout in 2020, Donald Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen was easily disproven by numerous federal and state judges and election officials. We cannot allow states to turn back the clock on our core civil rights by restricting, rather than expanding, the constitutional right of all Americans to vote. 

“I am disappointed but not disaffected. I remain committed to working on passage of voting rights legislation and will continue my years-long dialogue with colleagues on Senate rules reforms to address these critical issues and safeguard the right to vote before the 2022 elections. Inaction only helps those who want to suppress the vote.”