Republicans slow Voting Rights Act renewalJun 29, 2006 — By Amanda Beck
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prospects for a swift renewal of the Voting Rights Act
faded on Thursday as lawmakers called for new congressional hearings on the
landmark civil rights law first approved in 1965.
The House leadership had expected an easy 25-year extension of the act last
week but southern Republicans rebelled, objecting that their states would be
subjected to special scrutiny based on the legacy of discrimination from the
1960s.
<snip>
Lawmakers are divided on several issues, including whether districts should
supply bilingual voting ballots and whether hearings should examine the impact
of this week's Supreme Court ruling on Texas redistricting.
House Majority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said Congress would
return to the matter after a weeklong July 4 recess. Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi, a California Democrat, said party members were "holding our fire and
patiently waiting for the Republicans to work out their politics."
<snip>
Full article:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2136211
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