House Votes to Renew 1965 Voting Rights Act

The U.S. House of Representatives today, by a vote of 390-33, passed a bill renewing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for 25 years. The bill will now go to the Senate.

The landmark civil rights-era Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson on Aug. 6, 1965, placed a nationwide ban on discriminatory voter qualification requirements, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, used largely to prevent minorities from voting in southern states. Soon after passage of the Voting Rights Act, black voter registration began a sharp increase.

Prior to passage of the bill renewing the Act, the House easily defeated amendments that would have shortened the period of renewal from 25 to 10 years.

During the floor debate, Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis, himself a civil rights activist beaten by Alabama state troopers in 1965, was quoted by CNN as stating, "Yes, we've made some progress; we have come a distance. The sad truth is, discrimination still exists. That's why we still need the Voting Rights Act, and we must not go back to the dark past."

The Voting Rights Act renewal bill enjoys bipartisan support and is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed by President Bush.