February 28, 2015
NEW YORK (AP) - President Barack Obama says the right to vote in the U.S. is under bigger threat than at any time since the Voting Rights Act passed nearly five decades ago.
Obama says the idea of "one person, one vote" is the single biggest tool for fighting injustice. He's denouncing Republican efforts to pass voting restrictions, such as photo ID laws.
Obama is addressing Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference in New York. His speech comes a day after he marked the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
The Supreme Court recently invalidated key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Obama also says some states are leaving millions uninsured out of political spite. He's referring to Republican-controlled states that haven't accepted a Medicaid expansion under his health care law.