Abrams thanks Biden for Georgia speech, backs call for Senate rules change

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) thanked President Biden for a speech on voting rights that he gave in Georgia Tuesday amid speculation over why she hadn't attended.

"I thank @POTUS and @VP for returning to Georgia to continue their steadfast advocacy for passage of federal legislation to protect the freedom to vote. They made clear again today that they are committed to restoring the Senate to safeguard our democracy," Abrams said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Her statement came after Biden on Tuesday confirmed his support for changing the Senate's policies to allow voting rights legislation to pass with a simple majority instead of the 60-vote threshold that is currently required.

"While I was not able to attend today's event, the President and I connected by phone this morning," Abrams added in another tweet. "We reaffirmed our shared commitment to the American project of freedom and democracy, as he did in his remarks today here in Georgia."

"We must pave the way for swift Senate passage, because as President Biden declared today, if Republicans continue to prevent passage of legislation to protect the freedom to vote, 'we have no option but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster,'" she also said.

Earlier on Tuesday, former President Trump criticized Abrams for her absence at the event as he repeated false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

"Stacey Abrams helped Biden steal the 2020 Election in Georgia but now she won't even share a stage with Joe," Trump said in a statement.

"Stacey knows that Biden actually lost BIG in Georgia, and in the 2020 Presidential Election as a whole, and he's been so terrible she now wants nothing to do with him," he added.

Though Biden voiced his support for advancing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, some Democrats, including Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), have opposed doing away with the filibuster, a move they say could backfire if Republicans regain the majority in the next election.