As bishops urged, Congress extends Voting Rights Act; Bush to sign it

Published: 2006-07-21

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With the encouragement of the U.S. Catholic bishops, the Senate unanimously approved a bill reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 July 20 and sent it to President George W. Bush for his signature. While the Senate was debating the bill, which passed 98-0, Bush told the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that he looked forward to signing it. The House of Representatives had passed the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 on a 390-33 vote July 13. The legislation extends for 25 years provisions of the Voting Rights Act designed to assure equal participation in the electoral process by minority voters. In separate letters to House and Senate members, the chairman of the Committee on Domestic Policy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act was "necessary to preserve and protect the right to vote for all Americans."

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