by Carrie Lukas & Jennifer C. Braceras|Conservative Action Project
Conservatives are united in opposing H.R. 1, the attempt by House and Senate Democrats to fundamentally undermine the American electoral system. We further oppose any effort to modify budget reconciliation rules to pass this legislation.
While they cloak the bill in terms of “restoring democracy” and “preventing corruption,” the legislation has one goal: to protect incumbents, at the expense of the First Amendment, federalism, and individual voter integrity.
H.R. 1 undermines the First Amendment. H.R. 1 undoes key Supreme Court cases that protect elections as fundamental to free speech. It would allow the Federal Election Commission to track and catalogue more of what Americans are saying, register even very small political donations, and make public those who donate to different charitable and nonprofit organizations. The legislation will subject private citizens to intimidation and harassment for their private and political beliefs, far broader than what was done in the IRS targeting scandal in 2013.
H.R. 1 yanks election authority away from the states. H.R. 1 reasserts the ability of the federal government to micromanage state elections through a process known as “preclearance.” Preclearance, which was previously overturned by the Supreme Court, requires states to get permission from the federal government for changes as small as modifying the hours of an election office, or moving a voting location from a school gym to the library. Critically, none of these practices would undo any fraud or corruption. Rather, these same practices result in incorrect registrations and inaccurate voter data, while failing to address actual corrupt practices like ballot harvesting. Moreover, they are all designed to eliminate the federalism that keeps elections transparent, local, and fair.
H.R. 1 attacks individual voter integrity. America was founded on the principle of “one person, one vote.” H.R. 1 turns this on its head by weaponizing every aspect of the political regulatory system. The Federal Election Commission, which is currently a neutral body, would be given a 3-2 makeup, guaranteeing a partisan outcome with little accountability toward the actual votes which are cast. H.R. 1 also includes a 600 percent government match for political donations, and authorizes even more public dollars to campaigns. The bill also wants to make Election Day a new paid holiday for government workers, with additional paid vacation given to bureaucrats to oversee the polls. All of these changes are designed to distance the outcome of the election from those casting their votes.
H.R. 1 would also implement the following changes:
- Forces states to implement mandatory voter registration, removing civic participation as a voluntary choice, and increasing chances for error.
- Mandates that states allow all felons to vote.
- Forces states to extend periods of early voting, which has shown to have no effect on turnout.
- Mandates same-day voter registration, which encourages voter fraud.
- Limits the ability of states to cooperate to see who is registered in multiple states at the same time.
- Prohibits election observers from cooperating with election officials to file formal challenges to suspicious voter registrations.
- Criminalizes protected political speech by making it a crime to “discourage” someone from voting.
- Bars states from making their own laws about voting by mail.
- Prohibits chief election officials in each state from participating in federal election campaigns.
- Mandates free mailing of absentee ballots.
- Mandates that states adopt new redistricting commissions.
H.R. 1 would cause sweeping and irrevocable damage to the free speech, privacy, and integrity that are central components to free and fair elections in America. We oppose H.R. 1 in the strongest terms and urge all conservatives to do likewise.
The Honorable Edwin Meese III
Attorney General
President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988)
Alfred S. Regnery
Chairman, Conservative Action Project
President, Republic Book Publishers
Tom McClusky
President
March for Life Action
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop
White House Advisor
President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985)
L. Brent Bozell, III
Founder and President
Media Research Center
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell
Chairman
Constitutional Congress, Inc.
The Honorable Russ Vought
Director
Office of Management and Budget (2020-2021)
Jenny Beth Martin
Chairman
Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund
Myron Ebell
Director, Center for Energy and Environment
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq.
Chairman, CNP Action, In.
President and CEO, First Liberty Institute
The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell
President
The Leadership Institute
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.
Chief Domestic Advisor
President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988)
William L. Walton
President
Council for National Policy
The Honorable Matt Schlapp
Chairman
American Conservative Union (ACU)
Penny Y. Nancy
President & CEO
Concerned Women for America
Mary Vought
Executive Director
Senate Conservatives Fund
The Honorable David McIntosh
President
Club for Growth
Scott T. Parkinson
VP for Government Affairs
Club for Growth
The Honorable Jim DeMint
Chairman, Conservative Partership Institute
Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013)
Ed Corrigan
Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project
President & CEO, Conservative Partnership Institute
Tim Chapman
Executive Director
Stand for America
The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel
U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985)
U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989)
The Honorable Bob McEwen
U.S. House of Represenatives
Former Member, Ohio
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.)
Executive Vice President
Family Research Council
Wesley Denton
Chief Operating Officer
Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)
The Honorable Tony Perkins
President
Family Research Council
Rachel Bovard
Senior Director of Policy
Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)
Lisa B. Nelson
Thomas Fitton
President
Judicial Watch, Inc.
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna
President
Let Freedom Ring, Inc.
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder & President
Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
David N. Bossie
President
Citizens United
Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform
The Honroable Ken Cuccinelli
Visiting Fellow
Heritage Foundation
The Honorable James C. Miller III
Budget Director for President Reagan (1985-1988)
The Honorable Donald J. Devine
Director
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (1981-1985)
Michael Farris
CEO
Alliance Defending Freedom
Carrie Lukas
President
Independent Women’s Forum
Heather R. Higgins
CEO
Independent Women’s Voice
Joseph R. Gregory
CEO
Gregory Mgt. Co.
John McLaughlin
CEO
McLaughlin & Associates
Frank J. Gaffney
Executive Chairman
Center for Security Policy
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values
Mike Davis
Founder and President
Article III Project (A3P)
Justin Danhof, Esq.
General Counsel
National Center for Public Policy Research
The Honorable Tom DeLay
Former Majority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Kristan Hawkins
President
Students for Life Action
J. Christian Adams
President
Public Interest Legal Foundation
Lewis K. Uhler
Founder and President
National Tax Limitation Committee
E.W. Jackson
President
STAND Foundation, Inc.
Terry Schilling
President
American Principles Project
Annette Thompson Meeks
CEO
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Rev. Frank Pavone
National Director
Priests for Life
Craig Shirley
Reagan Biographer
Presidential Historian
Richard Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Marc Little
Chair
Center for Urban Renewal and Education
Anne Schlafly Cori
Chairman
Eagle Forum
Tim Macy
Chairman
Gun Owners of America
Kay R. Daly
President
Coalition for a Fair Judiciary
Rod D. Martin
Founder and CEO
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Sherri R. Martin
Executive Vice President
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Christina Murphy Lusk
President
The Martin Foundation
Lourdes Cosio
Campaign for the American Future
Guillermo J. Aragon
Chief Financial Officer
Martin Imaging, Inc.
Shawn A. Mitchell
Former National Chaplain
National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Haley E. Martin
Past President
The Martin Foundation
Rod Vandenbos
CEO
R2
Steve Berger
Founder
Grace Chapel
Lee Beaman
CEO
Beaman Ventures
Kevin Freeman
Founder
NSIC Institute
Mario Navarro da Costa
Director, Washington Bureau
Tradition, Family, Property
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President
VAF
Judson Phillips
Founder
Tea Party Nation
Seton Motley
President
Less Government
Floyd Brown
President
Western Center for Journalism
Benjamin R. Case
Debbie Georgatos
Host, America, Can We Talk?
CWT Publications, LLC
Michael J. Horowitz
CEO
21st Initiatives
Michelle Easton
President
Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
Preggy Dau
Representative
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G. Eric Georgatos
Executive Producer
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Vice President
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Paavo Ensio
Chairman
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Jay Mount
President
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Gary Marx
President
The Concord Fund
Tom DeWeese
President
American Policy Center
Allen Roth
President
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Richard Norman
Founder and President
The Richard Norman Company
Richard D. Hayes
Partner
Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP
Kielle C. Horton
President
The Lindsey Foundation
Debbie Wuthnow
President
iVoterGuide
Eunie Smith
President Emeritus
Eagle Forum
Jack Park
Conservative Activist and Donor
Law Offices of Jack Park
Leigh Bortins
Owners
Classical Conversations
The Honorable Jack Hoffman
Representative
Arizona House of Representatives
Willes K. Lee
President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Penna Dexter
Co-host
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Kathleen Patten
President & CEO
American Target Advertising, Inc.
The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr.
Managing Editor
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Amapola Hansberger
President and Founder
Legal Immigrants for America
Danel Perrin
Founder
HSA Coalition
Sean Noble
President
American Encore
Amy Kremer
Chairwoman
Women for America First
Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
Kylie Jane Kremer
Executive Director
Women for America First
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis
President
60 Plus Association
James L. Martin
Founder/Chairman
60 Plus Association
Ron Pearon
Executive Director
Conservative Victory Fund
The Honorable Peter J. Thomas
Chairman
The Conservative Caucus
Donald L. Woodsmall
Principal
Arromid, LLC
Randy M. Long
Founder
Long Business Advisors, LLC
Andresen Blom
President
Hawaiian Values
Sal Russo
Co-Founder and Chief Strategist
Tea Party Express
C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
The Honorable Diana Denman
President
The Reagan Legacy Forum
Nancy Schulze
Founder, President
RCW Speakers
Joan Holt Lindsey
President
Lindsey Communications
Adam Kincaid
President & Executive Director
Fair Lines America
Dr. Richard Rounsavelle
Trustee
Media Research Center
The Honorable Mike Hill
Former Member
Florida State House
William W. Pascoe, III
Board Member
Tea Party Patriots Action
Tim Wildmon
President
American Family Association
Dr. John Tyler
Professor
HBU
Robert D. Thompson
Former Administrator
The Weyrich Lunch (1999-2016)
Jennifer Braceras
Director
Independent Women’s Law Center
Gerard Kassar
State Chairman
NYS Conservative Party
Trent England
Executive Director
Save Our States
Wade Kirby
Director of Development
GSWA
Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr.
Vice President & Legal Director
National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
Mark Mix
President
National Right to Work Committee
Barry Meguiar
President
Ignite America
Khadine Ritter
Chairman
Eagle Forum of Ohio
Dr. Richard Lee
President
There’s Hope America
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President
Committee for Justice
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Director of Public Policy
Committee for Justice
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President
Faith Wins
E.C. Sykes
General Partner
Aslan Ventures