Before a Republican filibuster Tuesday frustrated Democrat efforts to pass voting rights legislation, several large law firms—including Covington & Burling, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Steptoe & Johnson—were paid tens of thousands of dollars to lobby for client’s interests related to the bill.

The broad legislation, We the People Act, is aimed at reforming voting rights and combating Republican moves in some states to restrict access to the ballot.