House passes John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on party lines

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act passed the House on Tuesday, with the 219-212 vote going along party lines.

The bill, named after the late Georgia representative, would restore a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court. It would require certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting to receive approval, known as preclearance, from the Justice Department before making changes to their voting rules.  The bill, also known as H.R. 4, now heads to the Senate, where it faces stiff GOP resistance. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called it "unnecessary," and said it would give the Justice Department too much power over states. With an evenly divided Senate, all 50 Democrats and at least 10 Republicans would need to vote for the bill for it to pass.