06.21.06
Rep. John Carter And The Voting Rights Act
Raw Story says tomorrow’s HChron will have story on Congress holding up the extension of the Voting Rights Act, Some Texas Republicans don’t believe racial bias exists in state anymore, link via South Texas Chisme. John Carter is quoted in the article:
“I don’t think we have racial bias in Texas anymore,” Congressman John Carter (TX-Rep) said after House Republican leaders suddenly cancelled plans to vote on a renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, according to an article slated for Thursday’s edition of Houston Chronicle, RAW STORY has found.
More from Rep. Carter in this story, House leaders delay debate on Voting Rights Act renewal:
Hastert prefers to hold votes only when a measure is backed by a “majority of the majority.” At a closed-door GOP caucus meeting Wednesday, hours before a 90-minute debate was to start, enough rank-and-file members complained to halt proceedings.
“Our leaders aren’t stupid. They don’t want to jam something down peoples’ throats,” said one leadership aide.
Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, argued at the meeting that the House should wait at least a week or two, pending a Supreme Court ruling in the Texas congressional redistricting case, which relies partly on the Voting Rights Act.
“It’s going to happen ASAP, and we should wait and see what it says,” Carter said. “Nobody is arguing that we don’t need a Voting Rights Act.”
House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., expressed frustration at the delay, noting that his committee held a dozen hearings and took 12,000 pages of testimony before voting 33-1 to extend the law. He called objectors “misinformed.”
In other words, a majority of Republicans are holding up renewal of the Voting Rights Act. They threw a tantrum and John Carter is right in the middle of it. It looks like the Republicans are expecting something from the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on redistricting to effect the Voting Rights Act.