The House pushed forward the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday despite zero Republicans voting in favor of it.
The bill, which passed with a 219-212 vote, now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uphill challenge due to the 50-50 split.
"Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote." Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), a main sponsor of the bill, said on the House Floor during debate about the legislation.
The bill looks to expand efforts to identify discriminatory voting patterns by requiring states and local governments to get approval from the Department of Justice before making any changes to election laws. It also outlines a provision to counter a Supreme Court ruling from the summer that made challenging alleged discriminatory voting changes more difficult.
Democrats lauded the passage of the bill, also known as H.R. 4.
Today we are one step closer to ensuring fair voting rights to all Americans. I was proud to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and I hope the Senate will act immediately to #RestoreTheVote
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) August 24, 2021
However, Republican lawmakers said that the legislation's passage was part of an effort by Democrats to remain in power.
"I hope my colleagues and the American people will see this bill for what it is: A partisan power graph, which circumvents the people to ensure one party rule," Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said during debate on the Floor.
The voting bill is part of a wider effort from Democrats to strengthen federal election laws to combat GOP-backed bills at the state level aimed at ensuring fair elections.
Notably, the Democrats other federal election bill, the For the People Act, passed through the House earlier this year but stalled in the Senate after a Republican filibuster.
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