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Overview:
Commemorating Civil Rights Act's 60th, Biden highlights enduring need for justice, equality, and court reforms.
AUSTIN, Texas — In a poignant address at the LBJ Presidential Library, President Joe Biden commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the United States. He also called for Supreme Court reform, including term limits to uphold judicial integrity and democratic principles.
Former US Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young introduced the President. Young, a civil rights leader, worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the movement.
LBJ’s Legacy of Equal Opportunity
“He’d say, ‘It’s time for us to come and see that every American gets a decent break and a fair chance to make good.’”
Biden said that LBJ’s Civil Rights Act was a defining moment in the nation’s history, opening doors of opportunity for all Americans regardless of their race, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, and national origin.
“Taken together,” referring collectively to the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act, “these three acts have made this country fundamentally, more fair, fundamentally more just, and most importantly, fundamentally more consistent with our founding principles,” Biden declared.
President Lyndon B. Johnson sought to fulfill the promise initiated by President Abraham Lincoln by ensuring the Supreme Court upheld its constitutional responsibilities. Further, Biden noted that Johnson exemplified this commitment by nominating Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice, to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Biden Calls Out Supreme Court for Reversing Key Civil and Reproductive Rights Precedents
Biden then turned his attention to the current judicial landscape, expressing concern that today’s courts are undermining long-established civil rights protections. He specifically cited the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which he argued in his speech has dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, leading to a surge in restrictive voting laws across the country.
He then pointed out how the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision rolled back women’s reproductive rights, significantly impacting access to abortion services.
“In 2022, the court overruled Row v. Wade and the right to choose. It had been the law of the land for 50 years,” Biden touted. Then he continued, hammering the highest Court in the land’s recent controversial decisions.
“The following year, the same court eviscerated affirmative action, which had been upheld for nearly 50 years as well,” President Biden stated.
Biden Warns of Project 2025’s Extreme Civil Rights Rollbacks
The President then shifted to Project 2025. Critics of Project 2025 argue that it could undermine the rule of law and the separation of powers by reclassifying federal civil service positions to install politically loyal appointees to former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, thus eroding the non-partisan nature of the federal bureaucracy.
“Now, there’s an extreme movement and agenda called ‘Project 2025’. They are planning another onslaught of attacks on civil rights in America,” President Biden said. “For example, Project 2025 calls aggressively attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion all across all aspects of American life. This extreme maga movement even proposes to end birthright citizenship.”
The President underscored a recent decision by the Supreme Court that expanded presidential immunity, expressing concern over the implications of this ruling. Increased immunity for presidents could set a dangerous precedent, potentially shielding them from accountability and undermining the checks and balances integral to the U.S. democratic system.
“Just imagine what a president can do in trampling civil rights and liberties given such immunity. The courts are being used to weaponize an extreme and unchecked agenda,” President Biden argued.
President Biden criticized the corruption involving gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that a Supreme Court justice received from supporters of Project 2025, calling it a blatant conflict of interest. He emphasized these actions as undermining the integrity and ethical standards expected from the judiciary and political leaders.
Biden Pushes for Supreme Court Reform and Term Limits and Ethical Standards
He also highlighted the hypocrisy of Republicans who, despite their previous stance against appointing justices during an election year, rushed to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020, calling it “outrageous.”
“I’m calling for a constitutional amendment, called ‘No One is Above the Law.’ It calls for no immunity for crimes that a president commits while in office. I share in our founders’ beliefs that a president must answer to the law,” President Biden stated, adding, “where a nation of laws, not kings and dictators.”
For 75 years, presidential terms in the United States have been limited to two terms, the President Biden stated. He then emphasized the need for similar term limits for Supreme Court justices, noting that the United States is the only constitutional democracy where justices serve for life. He highlighted the importance of Supreme Court reform to ensure the judiciary aligns with contemporary ethical and democratic standards.
Biden proposed an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices and called for mandatory disclosure of gifts and recusal from cases involving the justices or their spouses. “We need a mandatory code of ethics for the Supreme Court, and we need it now,” President Biden said, stressing its vital importance to U.S. democracy.
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A Call to Action: Upholding Civil Rights and Democracy in Today’s America
President Biden’s address not only honored the monumental strides made by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 but also served as a stark reminder of the ongoing battles for equality and justice. By highlighting the current threats to civil liberties and calling for Supreme Court reforms, Biden underscored the critical need to uphold and strengthen the principles of fairness and democracy. Lastly, his speech resonated with a call to action, emphasizing that the fight for civil rights remains as urgent today as it was sixty years ago.