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House Democrats have passed a voting rights bill named after John Lewis, although the GOP claims it was a "Guerrilla Takeover."

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democrats voted on Tuesday to restore federal oversight of state election legislation, which has been undermined by recent Supreme Court rulings, but the bill faces a grim future in the Senate facing the Republican opposition.

Legislation honoring the late representative. John Lewis, a Georgian Democrat and a civil rights icon, was endorsed by the House of Representatives with 219-212 votes in the party line. The bill proposes renewed oversight by the Department of Justice of electoral law changes in states with a history of discrimination.

The bill was introduced by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi of California to address "the danger of a targeted, brazen and politicized campaign to keep Americans out of the polls."

“This campaign is undemocratic, dangerous and requires action,” Pelosi said.



Republicans said the bill was part of a partisan effort by Democrats to federalize electoral rules in their favor. The bill is opposed by Senate Republicans, who could use an obstruction to stop it in an equally divided chamber.

Tom Cole, representative for Oklahoma, said: "This is an extraordinary takeover by Washington that will completely change the nature of elections as we know them."

Democrats in Congress are working to reinstate voting rights provisions that were weakened after the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court voting rights rulings have prompted Congress to act.

Representative Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Alaska, said: "I understand that the 1965 Voting Rights Act is intended for the most egregious statesmen." "However, he says that when states become outcasts, federal control is required."

In the landmark Shelby County v. Holder, the court rejected part of that law in 2013. The Supreme Court ruled that the Justice Department no longer had the power to investigate electoral changes in states that have been discriminated against in the past. . Because it relied on data from ten years ago and ruled out the practice, the court concluded that the "pre-clean" program was obsolete.

In July, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld two restrictive voting rules. According to the Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee.

“This is an urgent legislative response to the onslaught of discriminatory electoral laws and practices that have emerged since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, says Bill's author, Jerry Nadler, NY, is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. . "Any suggestion that we will usurp state power is simply not true."

In March, the House of Representatives passed the People's Law, which included provisions to strengthen early voting, allow same-day registration and reduce identification requirements. The bill also prohibits the removal of names from voters lists, a common practice known as purging, which civil rights organizations say unfairly harms minorities and low-income people.

In the most recent bill, the House of Representatives agreed to the Justice Department reconsidering electoral law changes if the state has committed 15 crimes in 25 years. The bill also establishes a practice-based pre-approval category that gives the agency control when jurisdictions make changes, such as moving from district elections to general elections.

In response to the Brnović case, the bill would set new standards to challenge electoral rules that reduce voter power, such as the redistribution of polling stations, or to prevent voters from voting, for example in the case identification of voters.

Another provision gives the Ministry of Justice the right to prosecute a law that has been passed but has not yet entered into force.

Democrats said the changes would preserve voting rights for minorities.

"State lawmakers across the country are working to make voting more difficult and overturn election results more easily, aided by Supreme Court rulings weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act," said said Knuth in the majority of House James Clyburn, South Carolina. “Communities of color have been disproportionately affected by these undemocratic measures. "

Republicans, meanwhile, say Democrats are trying to change the voting rules to their advantage.

Another provision gives the Ministry of Justice the right to prosecute a law that has been passed but has not yet entered into force.

Democrats said the changes would preserve voting rights for minorities.

"State lawmakers across the country are working to make voting more difficult and overturn election results more easily, aided by Supreme Court rulings weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act," said said Knuth in the majority of House James Clyburn, South Carolina. “Communities of color have been disproportionately affected by these undemocratic measures. "

Republicans, meanwhile, say Democrats are trying to change the voting rules to their advantage.

The proposal could lead to a battle for the hacker once the matter goes to the Senate. To defeat the hacker, the law must garner 60 votes in the Senate, which is made up of 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats.

To pass the franchise law, civil rights organizations called on Senate Democrats to remove the hacker. However, it is not known whether they will take this step.

"If ten Republicans in the Senate refuse to support this bill, Democrats in the Senate will have to change the pirate system," said Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at General Affairs. "The right to vote of every American must be guaranteed."

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