Will Congress Fix The Voting Rights Act? Oh, Sure-- And They'll Perfect Obamacare The Same Day

George W Bush signs the 2006 Voting Rights Act renewal

In July 2006 George W. Bush signed a bill to renew the Voting Rights Act. Earlier that same month it had passed the House 390-33. All 33 NO votes were right-wing Republicans. More than a few of them are still in the House and one, Nathan Deal (R-GA), is now the governor of his state. These 14 racists are still Members of Congress:

• Joe Barton (R-TX)
• Mike Conaway (R-TX)
• Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
• Trent Franks (R-AZ)
• Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
• Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
• Sam Johnson (R-TX)
• Steve King (R-IA)
• Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
• Tom Price (R-GA)
• Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
• Ed Royce (R-CA)
• Mac Thornberry (R-TX)
• Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)

Earlier in the day, the House voted down racist amendments by Charlie Norwood (R-GA), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Steve King (R-IA) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) that would have served to strip voting equality from minorities. A majority of Republicans supported all but Norwood's amendment, which would have revised the formula in section 4 that determines which States and jurisdictions are covered under section 5 of the Act. King's amendment had the most support. It was aimed at striking down provisions in law requiring bilingual ballots in jurisdictions with large numbers of bilingual voters. King says English proficiency should be proven before anyone is ever allowed to vote. It failed 185 to 238, with 181 Republicans voting with King and only 44 voting against it. 4 Blue Dogs voted with the Confederates-- John Barrow (GA), Gene Taylor (MS), Tim Holden (PA), all subsequently defeated at the polls, and Collin Peterson (MN), one of the last reactionary Blue Dogs still hanging on to a seat in the House.

Among the GOP racists who backed King on that amendment are some of today's most powerful congressional Republicans, including now-Senators Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Jerry Moran (KS) and Roger Wicker (MS), and Paul Ryan (WI), John Mica (FL), Michael McCaul (TX), Darrell Issa (CA), Fred Upton (MI), and John Kline (MN)-- plus the same cast of characters who voted against the overall renewal.

Saturday, President Obama asked Congress to get to work fixing what the Supreme Court broke in 2013 in the Voting Rights Act. That's not going to happen-- not while the Republicans have such a firm grip on the House and the Confederates have such a firm grip on the GOP. There were more than a few Republicans in Selma for the commemoration over the weekend. And, yes, even KKK sympathizer Jeff Sessions was at the event-- although he made it clear he's not voting to allow more minorities to get equal voting rights. "I think we’ve had so much improved voting rights in Alabama that the Court was probably correct [to strike down part of the Voting Rights Act]."