WATCH: Padilla Sounds Alarm After Supreme Court Weakens Voting Rights Protections
Padilla Joins Senate Democrats in Launching Election Protection Effort
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of today’s Supreme Court ruling impacting voting rights, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) delivered remarks along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Democrats as they unveiled a new elections task force aimed at mobilizing Senate leadership to push back against threats to our democracy.
“Donald Trump and the Republicans know that their record has not just been unpopular, it’s been so damaging to working families across the country, that their only hope to hold on to power, to cling to power after the election, is to rig the system,” said Padilla.
In his remarks, Senator Padilla warned of escalating efforts by President Donald Trump and Republicans to undermine free and fair elections ahead of November.
Padilla continued, “…see how persistent this President has been attacking our democracy, not just our right to vote… From failed executive orders to failed legislative attempts to make it harder for people to register to vote, harder to stay registered to vote, harder to actually cast your ballot, proposals to eliminate vote-by-mail options for voters, threats to send federal agents to the polls on election day. It doesn’t end because Donald Trump couldn’t handle losing in 2020.”
Padilla stressed that the Court’s decision underscores what is at stake in the upcoming election, emphasizing that the ruling comes amid a broader pattern of actions that threaten democratic participation, including partisan redistricting efforts and policies that make it harder for Americans to register, remain registered, and vote.
“Try as hard as they might, we’ll try even harder and we will succeed in defending our elections—our free and fair elections—and upholding our democracy. It’s going to be a lot of work between now and Election Day, on Election Day itself, and after Election Day, but the American people deserve no less,” Padilla concluded.
His remarks come as Democrats ramp up a nationwide election protection effort to counter voter suppression, respond to legal and legislative threats, and safeguard the integrity of U.S. elections at a critical moment for democracy.
Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Last week, Padilla joined leading voting rights advocates and impacted voters from across the country at the Capitol to push back against the anti-voter SAVE America Act. Padilla also took to the Senate floor to lead the opposition to the bill. In February, Padilla spoke on the Senate floor to condemn Republicans’ attempts to pass the bill. Last May, he stopped Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempt to pass the anti-voter SAVE Act through the Senate by unanimous consent. He also convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum focused on Congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, Padilla led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and the Trump Administration’s attacks on election integrity. Last April, he warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of the SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country.
Video of Padilla’s full remarks is available here.
A transcript of Padilla’s remarks, as delivered, is available below:
“Look, folks. Clearly, this isn’t just about redistricting. This isn’t just about access to the ballot. It’s about the stakes in this November’s election.
Donald Trump and the Republicans know that their record has not just been unpopular, it’s been so damaging to working families across the country, that their only hope to hold on to power, to cling to power after the election, is to rig the system.
Let me make this comment about the Supreme Court ruling today. Fair, non-discriminatory redistricting is just as fundamental to voting rights as access to the ballot.
And you have to sort of take a step back and see how persistent this president has been attacking our democracy, not just our right to vote.
It began day one of this administration through an unlawful executive order.
It’s continued with his partisan redistricting scheme that began in Texas and seems to be continuing in Florida.
From failed executive orders to failed legislative attempts to make it harder for people to register to vote, harder to stay registered to vote, harder to actually cast your ballot, proposals to eliminate vote-by-mail options for voters, threats to send federal agents to the polls on election day. It doesn’t end because Donald Trump couldn’t handle losing in 2020.
And so, try as hard as they might, we’ll try even harder and we will succeed in defending our elections—our free and fair elections—and upholding our democracy.
It’s going to be a lot of work between now and election day, on election day itself, and after election day, but the American people deserve no less.”