Posted on 01/16/2014 9:59:10 AM PST by cotton1706
Several months after the Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, a bipartisan contingent of lawmakers plans to introduce a legislative fix on Thursday afternoon.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., made a passing reference to developments on the VRA front at a news conference earlier in the day.
“I want to say that I’m pleased with what I see as bipartisan progress — and that’s a good thing — that’s being made on addressing the Voting Rights Act, and I think we’re going to be hearing an announcement on that later today,” Pelosi said. “I’m not here to announce it, but I’m here to say what’s occurred in briefings and meetings we’ve had. While it’s not the bill everyone will love, it is bipartisan, it is progress and it is worthy of support.”
Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., confirmed Pelosi’s remarks while heading into the House chamber, adding that Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and House Judiciary ranking member John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., are the sponsors.
Conyers said he and Sensenbrenner have officially dropped their bill into the hopper, and that Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., had filed an identical bill. The three lawmakers are expected to hold a news conference later in the day on the Senate side of the Capitol, Conyers said.
“We’re hopeful that we can move in a good way,” Conyers said. “We need to have hearings immediately, as soon as we can. That’s the best sign of good faith and bipartisanship.”
The effort does not yet have full buy-in from Republican leadership, said a senior GOP aide. Leaders are wary of push back from conservative members and are skeptical that the bill could attract the support of a majority of the Republican Conference.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...
Some background on what happened in June:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/supreme-court-ruling.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
In 2006 the GOP congress with GWB reauthorized the VRA AS IS no changes which included those shackles that Lind Johnson put on the Southern GOP states.
That resulted in those states having to get permission from Holder BEFORE enacting voter ID laws, 2008, 2010 and 2012, which he said no to.
This is amazing that some Republicans are willing to join the Dems to do this again to conservative states.
“..what I see as bipartisan progress...”
With this particular Democratic Senate whatever they propose, it definitely won’t be progress. The Republicans should know well that you cannot trust anything they say. The Dems are deceitful and serial liars - and that’s a fact!!
I’m really, really starting to hate republicans!
this is all about incumbant protection and how the beltway aristocrats now feel at risk due to voting by citizens.
If I recall correctly, the Supreme Court overturned the formulas used to determine which areas were under federal oversight. What’s needed from Congress is a realistic update to the data, i.e., are these areas still seeing big numbers of minorities denied the right to vote. We don’t need an overhaul of the law itself.
Between this and giving illegals the vote you cant help think that they are in the wrong party.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (last June) effectively struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by a 5-to-4 vote, freeing nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval.
So the GOPE have no problem with stomping on the states, and yes, ensure rat victory.
Is there any real question we must return the states to the senate to stop this abuse?
So are most Republicans.
That decision, to allow senators to be popularly elected, was probably the worst amendment change to the Constitution, ever. States lost ALL control on the federal government. I cannot fathom how it ever got past the state legislatures in the first place. They must have been tricked, fooled or threatened in some way.....................
Since at the link there is little in the way of factual detail as to what is in it, I’m supposing this to be another one of those that have to be passed to find it just... what... is... in... it.
The country was in a progressive mood, from the very top to the very bottom, from extreme left to extreme center-left.
Hopey-Changey....................
If it’s ‘Bipartisan’ it sucks, no matter what........................’Bipartisan’ is just another word for ‘cave’ or ‘surrender’....................
“this is all about incumbent protection and how the beltway aristocrats now feel at risk due to voting by citizens.”
Secretary Gates was right in his assessment of the Congress as being totally self-absorbed with the maintenance of their own seats to the exclusion of doing what’s right for our country. With a few notable exceptions, they all need to be removed from office. If we were to start out with 535 neophytes, we would be far better off. In this situation “experience” is a bad word.
Since then, the people have gotten what they wanted, good and hard. (Apologies to Menken) Mark Levin addresses the mistake of the 17th Amendment very well in his latest book.
I don’t know who said it, Mark Levin or someone else, but he or she said, “The only way to defeat a liberal is to give them everything they want.”. Which seems to be true, as with the Obamacare disaster....................
I would be amazed if the Republicans DID NOT join with the Democrats to screw over conservative states.
You mean “I would be amazed if the Republicans DID NOT join with the Democrats to screw over conservative states AGAIN’
Unfortunately I can see it too.
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