Obama calls for eliminating filibuster to expand access to voting

Former President Barack Obama is getting behind the end of the filibuster. Obama delved into politics during his eulogy for the late Rep. John Lewis on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to

expand voting rights as a way of honoring the civil rights icon. "You want to honor John?" Obama said. "Let's honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die

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NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News

Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Obama specifically called for ensuring "every American is automatically registered to vote, including former

inmates," adding polling places, expanding early voting, making Election Day a national holiday, ending partisan gerrymandering, and guaranteeing "equal representation in our

government" to citizens of Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. And he backed the idea of eliminating the Senate filibuster if it's necessary to accomplish these goals. "If all

this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God given rights of every American, then that's what we should do," Obama said. During his

eulogy, Obama also blasted "our federal government" for "sending agents to use tear-gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators" and slammed "those in power"

who are trying to "discourage people from voting" and "even undermining the Postal Service." Brendan Morrow Explore More Speed Reads