In a noteworthy first-step towards nationwide voting reform — and ideally, an end to some of the racist anti-voting policies recently approved on the state level by governors in Florida, Georgia and other Republican strongholds — the House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday, Aug. 24.
Dartunorro Clark of NBC News reported that the sweeping voting rights bill, named after the late civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, was approved in a narrow vote of 219 to 212, with all House Republicans voting against the legislation.
“The bill is part of congressional Democrats’ broader campaign to strengthen voting laws at the federal level to fight restrictive voting laws passed in Republican-led states, such as Texas and Georgia,” Clark said. “However, it faces steep opposition in the Senate, where Democrats hold a wafer-thin majority.”
