John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Blocked in Senate

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would have restored the preclearance formula gutted in Shelby County v. Holder and required states with histories of discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing voting laws, failed in the Senate on January 19, 2022, unable to overcome a Republican filibuster. The bill had passed the House. All 50 Senate Republicans voted against proceeding. Democrats failed to reform the filibuster to pass the legislation. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia who held the Senate seat previously held by John Lewis's ally, called the failure 'a shame and a sin.'