Senator Chris Coons attended the ceremonies at the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma.
The Delaware Democrat told the Wilmington News Journal this was a good chance to connect with and be inspired by a critical moment in American history.
The march ultimately led to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Coons took the occasion to push his own voting rights legislation after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision requiring federal approval of voting law changes in certain states – mostly in the south.
The Delaware Democrat said he had asked several Republican colleagues to co-sponsor his amendment but added he was disappointed that they declined.
Also in attendance from Delaware was a former director of the Paul Brathwaite Congressional Black Caucus who noted that the marchers 50 years ago put their lives on the line for the promise of America.
