Current Status and Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA)
The VRA attacked racial discrimination from a number of different angles, including provisions designed to increase minority representation and to monitor those states with a history of employing discriminatory tactics. While the permanent provisions of the VRA protect your right to vote by prohibiting discriminatory practices, other provisions require Congressional reauthorization in order to continue. These sections of the law were last extended by Congress twenty-five years ago and must be reviewed before they expire in 2007.
Congressman Chabot: Leading Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act
As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Congressman Chabot has the responsibility for overseeing the reauthorization of these provisions. Congressman Chabot has held twelve hearings on this very important issue and heard testimony from diverse organizations such as the NAACP, the Urban League, the ACLU and the American Enterprise Institute to name a few. In addition, Congressman Chabot helped introduce bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act.
On July 13, the House passed the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. During the debate in the House, Chabot spoke in support of the legislation, which passed by a vote of 390-33. The Legislation passed in the Senate on July 27th by a vote of 98-0 and President Bush signed the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization that day. It became public law No. 109-246.
Related press releases:
Chabot Joins House, Senate Leaders to Introduce Voting Rights Act Reauthorization -- 5/1/06
Chabot Helps Lead Voting Rights Act Through Committee -- 5/10/06
Chabot Leads Historic Voting Rights Act Reauthorization -- 7/13/06
Read the text of H.R. 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.
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