Legislators in Texas are expected to vote on a bill restricting voting rights, the latest of several similar measures in the United States.

US President Joe Biden condemned a proposed bill in Texas that would restrict voting rights, saying that the measure “is part of an attack on democracy” and would severely harm people of color.

in a statement Biden said Saturday afternoon that Texas legislators introduced a bill that “joins Georgia and Florida to advance a state law that attacks the sacred right to vote.”

“This is part of the attack on democracy that we have seen Too frequent This year-and often targeting blacks and Brown Americans. This is wrong, and it is non-American. In the 21st century, we should make it easier for every qualified voter rather than harder to vote. “He says.

A comprehensive bill in Texas (called Senate Bill 7) would eliminate driving through voting, empower guerrilla pollsters, and restrict voting on Sunday, when many black church worshipers went to polls, among other restrictions.

The change needs to be approved before midnight on Sunday, when the state’s Republican-controlled legislature will end its meeting.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott (Greg Abbott) said he would sign the measure, and Democrats said he would challenge it in court.

The proposal is one of them Several pieces of legislation After the 2020 presidential election, the Republican Party put forward this proposal across the United States, which will restrict voting rights. Critics say the purpose is to make it more difficult for blacks and other people of color to vote.

Florida, Georgia and Arizona have also approved new voting restrictions in recent months.

Georgia LawThe Constitution passed in March imposes stricter identification requirements, restricts ballot boxes, gives legislators the right to take over local elections, and shortens the early voting period for all runoff elections. This also makes it a misdemeanor for people to provide food and water to voters waiting in line.

This measure drew quick accusations from civil rights advocates, Business leaderAnd Biden description It is called the “Jim Crow of the 21st Century”-referring to the segregation laws that were once used to suppress voting by African Americans.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University tracks national voting legislation, stating that at least 14 states across the country enacted 22 laws restricting voting rights between January 1 and May 14 this year, and dozens of other states are currently working on voting. Efforts to pass the state legislature.

Containing the surge in voting rights is related to the repeated false claims by former President Donald Trump that the November election was stolen, and an attempt to prevent the historic voter vote that appeared in 2020 from repeating itself at the Brennan Center (Brennan Center) Say On its website.

It said: “The opportunity for Americans to vote is unprecedentedly dangerous.”

Back in Texas, major companies including American Airlines and Dell have warned that the proposed bill could harm democracy and the economic environment.

But Republicans ignored their objections, and in some cases they criticized business leaders for speaking out.

The top Republican negotiator, State Senator Brian Hughes and State Representative Brisco Cain called the bill “one of the most comprehensive and wise electoral reform bills” in Texas history.

They said in a joint statement: “Even if the state media minimized the importance of election integrity, the Texas legislature did not succumb to headlines or corporate virtue signals.”

Texas already has the strictest voting restrictions in the country, and non-partisan groups often list Texas as a state with particularly difficult voting. This is one of the few states that made mail voting easier during the COVID-19 pandemic.