A July 28 Associated Press article on President Bush's signing of a 25-year extension of certain provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) misleadingly described those in Congress who “rebelled” against the renewal as "[s]ome Southern lawmakers." In fact, a majority of House Republicans, but no more than four Democrats, voted in favor of amendments that imperiled passage of the VRA extension. Also, on the July 27 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume completely glossed over House Republicans' efforts to derail the VRA's renewal, noting only that “Congress approved the bill with little opposition, even though key provisions [of the VRA] were not set to expire until next year.”

As Media Matters for America has noted, members of the House Republican leadership joined almost all Democrats to defeat four amendments to the VRA renewal bill. All four were offered by Republicans, and three had the support of a majority of House Republicans. As Washington Post staff writer Shailagh Murray reported in a July 14 article, the House passed the extension “after GOP leaders quelled a rebellion within the party's Southern ranks that threatened to become a political embarrassment,” and House Democrats were crucial in defeating three of the four Republican amendments that threatened the extension. Murray noted that the amendments would have “diluted two expiring provisions and possibly derailed final passage before the November congressional elections.” In fact, one of the amendments -- a proposal by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that would have allowed a provision requiring certain localities to print non-English ballots to expire in 2007 -- was, according to Murray's article, described by the House Judiciary Committee chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI) as a “poison pill” amendment.

None of the four House amendments to the VRA renewal measure -- here, here, here, and here -- received the support of more than four Democrats, and no Democrats voted against the bill's final passage.

From the July 28 Associated Press article by staff writer Deb Reichmann:

By signing the bill, Bush renewed -- for 25 years -- several provisions of the law. They include one requiring jurisdictions with large populations of voters who do not speak English to print ballots in several languages and provide other assistance.

“In four decades since the Voting Rights Act was first passed, we've made progress toward equality, yet the work for a more perfect union is never ending,” Bush said.

The Republican-controlled Congress, eager to improve its standing with minorities ahead of the November elections, pushed the bill through even though key provisions were not set to expire until next year. Black support for Republicans in elections has hovered around 10 percent for more than a decade. In 2004, Bush drew 11 percent of the black vote against Democrat John Kerry.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 98-0 and the House 390-33 -- overwhelming majorities that belied the difficulties in getting the bills passed.

Some Southern lawmakers rebelled against renewing a law that requires their states to still get the approval of the Justice Department before changing any voting rules. They argued that amounted to punishment for racist practices of the past.

From the July 27 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

HUME: In a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House today, President Bush signed a 25-year extension of parts of the Voting Rights Act that were due to expire. This was done before an audience of civil rights leaders and their families. That 1965 law outlawed discriminatory voting practices and opened polls to millions of black Americans. As the fall elections approach, Congress approved the bill with little opposition, even though key provisions were not set to expire until next year.