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.
In America's first use of the Presidential veto, George Washington vetoed legislation affixing the size of the House of Representatives at 120 members.
After emotional and excoriating testimony from comedian Jon Stewart, congress re-authorizes the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Reps. Paul Gosar, Jody Hice, and Thomas Massie are among 12 who vote against the bill.
In 1999, Congress repealed the 65 year old Glass-Steagall provisions, which required banks to separate investments and deposits. Critics allege this led to risky investment practices, and subsequently the 2008 financial crisis.
The Senate's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act narrowly failed due to a surprise defection by Sen. John McCain