This week, the House voted on H.R. 1, the For the People Act, legislation that would fundamentally alter our nation’s election system. While Democrats are trying to pass off H.R. 1 as a measure to rid our election system of partisan politics, it’s important to note this entire bill was crafted without any input from Republican Members of Congress, without the consultation of state officials or election administrators, and without going through the regular order House Committee processes. Furthermore, during a recent House Administration Committee markup of H.R. 1, House Democrats voted down every single Republican amendment to the bill.
I voted against H.R. 1, because this legislation is a constitutional overreach that limits free speech and weakens election security. It comes as no surprise that groups across the country are adamantly opposing this legislation. The list includes organizations on both sides of the political spectrum. In fact, it even includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a civil rights group who wrote a 13-page letter to the House Rules Committee opposing the legislation because it would “unconstitutionally impinge on the free speech rights of American citizens and public interest organizations.”
Additionally, Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske teamed up with 15 other Secretaries of State this week to send a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy concerning H.R. 1. As the chief officials responsible for administering the election process in their respective states, these state leaders detailed their deep concerns and opposition to this legislation, specifically highlighting how H.R. 1 will unnecessarily micromanage state election systems, impose crippling financial mandates on state governments, and hinder states’ ability to properly ensure the balance of access and security of the election process.
Here’s what H.R. 1 does:
WASTES TAXPAYER DOLLARS
6 to 1 Donor Contribution Match for Federal Candidates: The bill would use your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to match every small dollar amount donated to a congressional or presidential campaign by 600 percent. For example, if a candidate receives a $200 donation, the federal government would use taxpayer dollars to match that donation six times over, meaning the candidate would receive an additional $1,200. This means that you – a hardworking American taxpayer – will have just contributed another $1,200 to a candidate you might not even support. To that point, the bill also uses your taxpayer dollars to subsidize attack ads and robocalls, which again, might be financing campaign material for a candidate you would never back.
Voucher Program: The bill uses additional taxpayer dollars to create a new voucher program where any eligible voter would be given a $25 voucher to donate to any campaign of their choosing – meaning taxpayer dollars are now going straight into unofficial sources (political campaigns) with no oversight.
Supporting Paid Vacation Time for Federal Workers: Under H.R. 1, taxpayers would be required to foot the bill for federal employees to take six additional days of paid leave during election years to serve as poll watchers.
VIOLATES CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
Federal Government Power Grab: H.R. 1 expands the reach of the federal government by prohibiting states from determining their own registration and voting practices (as protected under Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution), and overrides the precinct system used by almost all states to ensure votes are properly monitored and election fraud is prevented. States would also be required to restore the voting rights of felons the moment they are out of prison, which violates Section 2 of the 14th Amendment.
Restricts Free Speech: The bill prohibits any “false” statements made in relation to federal elections, a change that directly violates our First Amendment protection of free speech. Specifically, this part of the bill creates a new category of “campaign-related” speech, which would be subjectively regulated by Washington bureaucrats who are empowered to enforce these regulations with penalties and censorship.
Violates Separation of Powers: H.R. 1 requires Congress to mandate a set of ethical standards for the Supreme Court. This means, Supreme Court judges – who are already required to adhere to a strict code of conduct – would become political targets under the bill, encouraging critics to look for any type of ethical violation to have justices removed from the Court. Not only does this violate the separation of powers, but it would be crippling for our federal judiciary and our country.
GIVES WASHINGTON THE POWER TO DICTATE ELECTIONS
Makes the FEC Partisan: H.R. 1 weaponizes the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by destroying its current bipartisan makeup. Reducing the number of FEC members from six to five will increase the chances of the FEC becoming a partisan body with undue power to shape and regulate elections nationwide.
ENCOURAGES VOTER FRAUD
Denying Access vs. Fraudulently Voting: H.R. 1 weakens our voting system by failing to put the necessary checks and balances in place to monitor who is registering to vote. Under H.R. 1, fraudulent registrations would no longer be considered a criminal offence, removing a critical safeguard put in place to prevent individuals from committing voter fraud. However, there are still criminal punishments put in place for anyone who hinders someone from voting.
Disregards State Voter Identification Laws: H.R. 1 requires states to maintain online voter registration with no safeguards. This change allows individuals to vote by simply signing a statement claiming they are who they say they are. Providing a signature would be the only process for voter identification, and the signature can be submitted online next to a photo with no outside authorization. Online voter registration significantly increases the likelihood of voter registration fraud by hackers and cyber criminals who are not tied to an existing state record, such as a driver’s license.
Same-day Registration: The bill requires states to permit same-day registration and voting during the early voting period and on Election Day. Since there are no safeguards in place for same-day registration, this creates chaos at the polls as election officials have no time to verify the accuracy of voter registration information and cannot anticipate the number of voters, ballots, and precinct workers needed to carry out a safe and secure election process.
Automatic Registration: H.R. 1 requires all states to adopt a voter registration system that automatically registers individuals from state databases, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and welfare offices. This provides an opportunity to register large numbers of ineligible voters, including non-citizens as well as multiple or duplicate registrations of the same individual.
A successful democracy is one in which the people have confidence in their free and fair electoral process. H.R. 1 would not only weaken our electoral process by violating our constitutional rights, but it would do so at the expense of hardworking taxpayers. Free and fair elections are a bedrock principle of our country, which is why we must focus on policies that preserve this fundamental way of life, instead of policies that intentionally tip the scale to benefit one side.
As always, thank you for subscribing to the Amodei Report. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on the issues you care about most. For additional information, please visit my website at amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760, or Elko office: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
