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Aug. 18 (UPI) -- House Democrats have introduced a bill named after the late John Lewis to restore and strengthen protections for non-White voters to the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 amid a Republican state-level push to pass laws opponents describe as voter suppression. Introduced Tuesday by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act seeks to restore protections removed from the act by the Supreme Court in 2013 and again last month.
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Specifically, the act seeks to reinstate the requirement removed in 2013 for states and regions with a history of voter discrimination to obtain clearance from the Justice Department before making changes to voting laws and to protect against the court's decision last month that essentially makes it more difficult to challenge discriminatory voting legislation.
"By preventing states with a recent history of voter discrimination from restricting the right to vote, this bill restores the full promise of our democracy and advances the legacy of those brave Foot Soldiers like John Lewis who dedicated their lives for the sacred right to vote," Sewell said in a statement.
The Democrats introduced the bill as Republican-led states seek to pass restrictions on voting laws, especially following the election lose of former President Donald Trump in November. The Republicans argue the measures are to ensure election integrity while opponents argue the GOP lawmakers are trying to make it harder for minorities to vote after losing both the White House and the Senate to the Democrats.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, between Jan. 1 and July 14, 18 sates have enacted 30 laws that restrict access to the ballot box.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., described the Republican effort in a statement Tuesday as a "brazen, partisan campaign of voter suppression" that targets minorities across the nation.
"With the attack on the franchise escalating and states beginning the process of redistricting, we must act," she said, stating that the House plans to vote on the measure once lawmakers return on Monday.
"We hope it can secure the bipartisan support this vital legislation deserves," she said, adding that they must also pass H.R.1, known as the For The People Act, which seeks to expand voting rights, "to ensure that every American has a say in the destiny of our democracy."
The House passed a previous iteration of the bill named after Lewis 228-187 in late 2019 but it faltered in the Republican-controlled Senate.
For the bill the pass the split Senate this go around, the Democrats will need Republicans to jump the aisle to gain the required 60 votes.
Lewis, a civil rights icon who was beaten by state troopers while protesting in 1965, died in July of last year. He served in Georgia's 5th congressional district for 32 years.
