The U.S. House of Representatives passed a controversial Hate Crimes Bill late last week in a 281-146 vote, with 131 Republicans and 15 Democrats objecting to the measure.
The legislation adds sexual orientation to the list of groups under the protection of the federal law. It also gives states and local jurisdictions federal help in prosecuting hate crimes.  
The bill passed the House in April as a stand-alone, but there was enough controversy surrounding it that passage in the Senate was not guaranteed.