Biden in Austin: President delivers keynote address to commemorate Civil Rights Act
AUSTIN, Texas - President Joe Biden was in Austin to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
He delivered the keynote address on Monday afternoon at the LBJ Presidential Library. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964.
MORE: Civil Rights Act of 1964: What to know about landmark legislation
Biden spoke about the importance of the Civil Rights Act, but says the work isn't done.
"For 50 years, the LBJ Foundation has convened this symposium to reflect on one of the crowning achievements, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A defining moment that has since opened doors of opportunity for all Americans, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin. Together, with the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act, these three landmark laws are remarkable in their scale and their scope. Taken together, these three acts have made this nation fundamentally more fair, fundamentally more just, and most importantly fundamentally more consistent with our founding principles," Biden said.
He also talked about recent Supreme Court opinions he said attack the rights of Americans, and called for changes that protect democracy. He added no one is above the law, and more checks need to be made on the Supreme Court.
Biden called for a constitutional amendment that would end presidential immunity.
"I share our founders' belief that a president must answer to the law. The president is accountable to the exercises of the great power of the presidency," he said. "We're a nation of laws, not kings and dictators."
He says Supreme Court justices should have term limits.
"[It] would reduce the chance that any single president imposes undue influence for generations to come," he said.
He also added there should be a code of conduct for the Supreme Court.
"The Supreme Court's current ethics code is weak and even more frighteningly voluntary," he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson clapped back on social media, saying in part:
"This dangerous gambit of the Biden-Harris Administration is dead on arrival in the House."
Biden also spoke against Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the next presidency.
"We can and must strengthen the guardrails of democracy," he said towards the end of his speech.
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Biden was originally supposed to visit Austin on July 15, but chose to postpone his visit following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
This visit also comes just over a week after Biden announced he had decided to end his re-election campaign and instead endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his stead.