Voting Rights on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

(CBS News) - On this holiday marking his father's birthday, Martin luther king the third led a peace walk across Washington's Frederick Douglass Bridge. He called on congress to pass stricter protections for voting rights.

"If you can deliver an infrastructure bill for bridges, you can deliver voting rights for americans. If you do not, there's no bridge in this nation that can hold the weight of that failure," said martin luther king, iii.

The bill would remove restrictions that republicans say enhance election security. But with its passage in doubt, advocates say the nation is at a critical point.

"The unmitigated gall to hide behind cloture and the filibuster - two procedural hurdles - when black people turned the tide to get joe biden elected - it puts me beside myself," said chief policy advisor, national bar assoc. Alicia hughes.

Last thursday, two moderate senate democrats, joe manchin and kyrsten sinema threw their support behind the legislation…But they do not approve of changing senate rules in order for it to pass.

Its failure would be a stinging blow to the president, who said it's not enough to praise doctor king on this holiday, it's time for action.

"We must commit to his unfinished work, to deliver jobs and justice, to protect the sacred right to vote" said president biden

The senate plans to debate the voting rights bill on tuesday…. And the president says whatever happens, he'll continue the fight.