The 42nd Congress voted 115-65 to establish Yellowstone, America's first national park -- despite concerns surrounding federalism
On the final day of John Tyler's presidency, a broad coalition overrode his veto on a minor bill related to customs enforcement -- the first time congress ever overrode a presidential veto.
The Senate's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act narrowly failed due to a surprise defection by Sen. John McCain
In 1949, U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey called for the abolition of the filibuster in order to advance civil rights bills; as Senate Majority Whip, he advanced civil rights bills; as a Senator in 1975, he voted to lower the threshold to break a filibuster from 67 votes to 60.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited racial discrimination in voting by protecting voting rights. It banned poll taxes and literacy tests and required states with historians of Jim Crow discrimination to seek advance clearance before changing and requiring states with histories of Jim Crow discrimination to obtain advance clearance to change laws governing voting.
