‘Almost a religious experience’: House Democrats pass voting bill; likely DOA in Senate
(Worthy News) – House Democrats in a party-line vote Tuesday approved restoring the Justice Department’s lapsed authority under the Voting Rights Act to block new state election laws deemed too restrictive.
Republicans bashed the bill, which passed in a strict party-line vote, 219-212, as a federal takeover of elections decisions that should be left to the states.
The bill faces near-certain death in the evenly-divided Senate. Rather than maneuvering to enact the legislation, House Democrats mainly passed it to placate civil rights groups upset with the lack of progress on racial justice issues. It also allows Democrats to continue to voice allegations that Republican-run states are imposing new racist rules to disenfranchise Black voters. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]
House passes John Lewis voting bill that takes aim at Supreme Court decisions
House Democrats passed a voting rights bill that restores and strengthens parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were struck down in two recent Supreme Court decisions.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act , named after the late Georgia representative and civil rights activist, passed 219-212 on Tuesday evening with no Republican support.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill was critical to pass “so that the Supreme Court of the United States cannot once again do violence as it did in Shelby County v. Holder and the most recent assault on Section 2.” She called the privilege of speaking in favor of the bill “almost a religious experience because of the sanctity of the vote.” [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]