Obama Blasts The Supreme Court For Striking Down A Key Provision Of The Voting Rights Act

In a strongly worded statement, President Barack Obama said he was "deeply disappointed" at the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Obama also called on Congress to pass legislation that would ensure "equal access" to voting.

Here's Obama's full statement:

I am deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision today. For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act – enacted and repeatedly renewed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress – has helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans. Today’s decision invalidating one of its core provisions upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent.

As a nation, we’ve made a great deal of progress towards guaranteeing every American the right to vote. But, as the Supreme Court recognized, voting discrimination still exists. And while today’s decision is a setback, it doesn’t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls. My Administration will continue to do everything in its power to ensure a fair and equal voting process.