House passes John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

The House on Tuesday passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that aims to strengthen a key component of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The House on Tuesday passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act legislation that aims to strengthen a key component of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 after it was weakened by two Supreme Court decisions. The legislation, named after the late civil rights icon, passed the House with a final vote of 219- 212. There was no Republican support. HR 4 would restore the pre-clearance formula from the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, a key provision that mandated federal review of local election laws and states with a history of voter discrimination, was removed after Shelby County, Alabama, filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court ruled that requiring states to seek approval from the Department of Justice prior to changing voting procedures was unconstitutional.