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Coalition Letter: Conservatives Oppose H.R. 1, The Ultimate Fantasy Of The Left – Independent Women’s Forum

a young woman votes at a booth with the American flag on it

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

Martha Boneta
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
Iran Alive Ministries

G. Eric Georgatos
Executive Producer
America Can We Talk?

Rob Chambers
Vice President
AFA Action

Paavo Ensio
Chairman
Universal Minerals Group

Jay Mount
President
MDS Communications Corporation

Gary Marx
President
The Concord Fund

Tom DeWeese
President
American Policy Center

Allen Roth
President
Secure America Now

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
Point of View Radio

Kathleen Patten
President & CEO
American Target Advertising, Inc.

The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr.
Managing Editor
ConservativeHQ.com

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

Curt Levey
President
Committee for Justice

Ashley Baker
Director of Public Policy
Committee for Justice

Chad Connelly
President
Faith Wins

E.C. Sykes
General Partner
Aslan Ventures

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