The Voting Rights Act, Sections 2, 4, 5 were the cornerstones of providing political power to African Americans

that then led to a whole range of other steps to make America more just and more equal. It was the cornerstone

and the culmination of years of struggle, blood, sweat, tears, in some cases, deaths.

I might not be here as president had it not been for those who courageously helped to pass the Voting Rights Act.

I might not be here as president. Wow. Hi again, everyone. It's five o'clock in New York. That was

president, former president, Barack Obama back in 2013, reacting then in real time to the Supreme Court's

gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Today, the court went further than they did that day. In a likely blow to Democrats' representation

in Congress and in a complete and utter perversion of the original purpose of the Voting Rights Act,

the nation's highest court told states that they can almost never consider race when drawing

congressional maps to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and striking down

Louisiana's congressional maps due to a majority black district. The decision was 6'3 along

ideological lines with all three liberal justices dissenting. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the

majority, said this, quote, compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could not justify the state's use of race-based redistricting here.

The state's attempt to satisfy the district court's ruling, although understandable, was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

While the court technically stopped short of overturning this key provision entirely

in a scathing dissent, Justice Elena Kagan called it demolished and said that today's

majority opinion amounts to, quote, the largest reduction to minority representation since the end of

reconstruction.

That's sinking.

Here's more from her dissent.

Quote, under the court's new view of Section 2, a state can without legal consequence systematically dilute minority citizens voting power.

Of course, the majority does not announce today's holding that way.

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