In his first visit to Austin since taking office, President Joe Biden underscored his administration’s efforts to protect civil rights and called for sweeping reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 29.

Biden commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, during a keynote address at the LBJ Presidential Library at The University of Texas.

The president’s visit, originally scheduled for July 15, was postponed following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump two days earlier. It was Biden’s first public appearance since announcing he would not seek re-election July 21.

After leaving Austin, Biden stopped in Houston to pay his respects U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died July 19. Jackson Lee represented her Houston district for nearly 30 years.The overview

During his address to invited attendees, Biden highlighted the work of former President and late Central Texas resident Lyndon B. Johnson.


“As a kid coming up, I always admired President Johnson for his public service, whether he was a school teacher in South Texas, a master of the United States Senate, a historic vice president and president,” Biden said. “His philosophy was simple: in a great society, no one should be left behind.”

Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964—about seven months after he took office following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Johnson also signed legislation prohibiting discrimination in voting and housing.

“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 to applause from attendees. “But we must be clear: Our work is not done. It's not done. We do not celebrate these laws as part of our past but as critical components of our future.”

During his 25-minute speech, Biden also unveiled proposals to restrict presidential immunity and reform the Supreme Court, which he said was “mired in a crisis of ethics.”


What they’re saying

At least a dozen Texas politicians greeted Biden at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, including Democratic U.S. reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar, and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.

“I thought he made a powerful speech,” Doggett told Community Impact. “It was appropriate that he's honored as a civil rights champion, because he is. I thought he laid out an important agenda this afternoon.”

Doggett was the first Congressional Democrat to call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race on July 2. The lawmaker, who represents Austin, said Biden “made the right decision.”


“It was a big sacrifice,” Doggett said. “But now we have a fighting chance to save our democracy.”

In a social media post, Watson said it was “a great honor” to meet with Biden.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has been great for cities, and it clearly shares the values and priorities of my Affordability First agenda that we’ve been working to successfully advance in Austin,” Watson wrote.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and fierce critic of the Biden administration, condemned Biden for not visiting the Texas-Mexico border during his trip. Abbott did not greet the president at the airport.


“Americans are waiting for them to take this national security crisis seriously,” Abbott wrote on social media. “Despite historic levels of illegal crossings, [Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris] continue to turn a blind eye to the chaos they created.”

More details

Biden called for a constitutional amendment that would abolish immunity for crimes a president commits while in office, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that shields former President Trump from prosecution for “official acts.”

“The court’s decision almost certainly means that a president can violate their oath, flout our laws and face no consequences. ... Just imagine what a president could do in trampling civil rights and liberties given such immunity,” Biden said.


He also proposed an enforceable code of ethics and 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, who are appointed for life.

Biden, who represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, said he has “overseen more Supreme Court nominations as a senator, vice president and president than ... anyone alive today.”

“I have great respect for our institutions and the separation of powers laid out in our Constitution,” Biden continued. “But what’s happening now is not consistent with that doctrine of separation of powers. Extremism is undermining the public's confidence in the court’s decisions.”

Biden’s proposals face steep opposition in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the measures would be “dead on arrival” in the chamber.

One more thing

Biden did not directly address his decision to withdraw from the presidential race during his July 29 address. He did, however, praise Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “an incredible partner [and] a champion of civil rights.”

“She’ll continue to be an inspiring leader and project the very idea of America—the very idea that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” Biden said.

Biden endorsed Harris for the Democratic nomination shortly after exiting the race.