Obama Calls For Making Election Day National Holiday at John Lewis Funeral

At the funeral for late civil rights leader John Lewis , Barack Obama voiced his support for voting reform ahead of the 2020 elections.

During his speech, Obama spoke highly of the work Lewis accomplished during his lifetime. He called for making Election Day a national holiday, restoring voting rights to former prison inmates, automatically registering Americans to vote upon turning 18, and full enfranchisement for the citizens of Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. He also referred to the filibuster, a rule that requires 60 senators to pass legislation instead of just the majority, a “Jim Crow relic.”

“John never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country can do,” Obama said during his eulogy. “I mentioned in the statement the day John passed, the thing about John was just how gentle and humble he was. And despite this storied, remarkable career, he treated everyone with kindness and respect because it was innate to him. This idea that any of us can do what he did, if we’re willing to persevere.” 

Throughout his lifetime, Lewis was instrumental in the furthering of voter and racial equality. Obama’s eulogy saw him stress that there is still much work to be done in the fight for equality. “Bull Connor may be gone, but today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of Black Americans,” Obama said. “George Wallace may be gone, but we can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators.”