AUSTIN, Texas — On Monday, President Joe Biden wrapped up his first public engagement since leaving the presidential race. He delivered the keynote address at a ceremony in Austin celebrating the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Inside an auditorium at the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas at Austin campus, President Biden spoke about the importance of the courts in protecting civil rights and called for reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The event was supposed to happen two weeks ago but was rescheduled due to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Since then, the race to November has radically changed.
Monday's event honored the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The library's director called the timing of the visit "extraordinary." In 1968, President Johnson also announced during the last year of his first term that he would not seek a second.
On Monday, President Biden did not address his own withdrawal from the race. Instead, he called for three Supreme Court reforms: term limits for justices, a binding code of conduct and ethics rules and a constitutional amendment to remove a president's immunity from prosecution.
"This nation was founded on the principle [that] there are no kings in America," President Biden said. "Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law. And for all practical purposes, the court's decision almost certainly means that a president can violate their oath, flout our laws and face no consequences."
On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the president's proposals "dead on arrival." During his speech, President Biden responded by saying whatever Johnson proposes will meet the same fate.
After leaving Austin, President Biden will stop in Houston to pay his respects to the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who is laying in state at Houston City Hall.
Previous presidential visits to Austin
Monday's visit to Austin was President Biden's first as president, but the Texas capital has been a popular destination for presidents over the past decade.
Ten years ago, four presidents visited the LBJ Library for the Civil Rights Summit marking the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. President Barack Obama joined former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
President Obama visited Austin a half-dozen times during his two terms. During his presidency, Donald Trump made a couple of stops in the city, including a tour of an Apple computer manufacturing facility in November 2019.