Congressman Bryan Steil | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Bryan Steil | Official U.S. House headshot
America’s democracy continues to be the greatest experiment in government. Over the past two decades, too many people have lost faith in our elections. We must take steps to restore voter confidence and encourage more people to make their voice heard at the ballot box.
The data show when people have more confidence that their vote will count, they’re more likely to participate. That’s exactly what we’ve seen in states that have implemented election integrity reforms.
When Georgia passed its election integrity reforms, S.B. 202, many on the Left — including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — claimed that it would lead to voter suppression. Corporations boycotted Georgia in protest, including Major League Baseball, which moved the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta. This devastated many workers in the Atlanta area who were relying on revenue from the game. The Left’s narrative was proven false in the 2022 election. Georgia had the highest voter turnout in midterm history under the new election law. A post-election survey conducted by the University of Georgia found that an overwhelming majority of voters reported no issues casting a ballot. Importantly, 0% of black voters reported having a poor voting experience. We should encourage more states to learn from Georgia’s success.
On the day before the 2023 MLB All-Star game, I’m excited to be in Atlanta for the introduction of the American Confidence in Elections Act. The ACE Act is a conservative, federalist approach to boost voter confidence and encourage more states to implement commonsense election integrity reforms. The Committee on House Administration has oversight jurisdiction over federal elections. As chairman, I’m committed to upholding the Constitution by ensuring states maintain primary control over administering elections — not the federal government.
The ACE Act has three main pillars: equipping states with election integrity tools, implementing election integrity reforms in Washington, D.C., and protecting political speech and donor privacy. The primary section of the bill is focused on providing states with tools to improve voter confidence. We will remove outdated policies that stand in their way and provide access to information held only by federal agencies.
For example, state and county election officials should have access to the Social Security death list so they can keep their voter rolls maintained. The best time to remove someone from the active voter list is when they die. Another safeguard states can implement to improve voter confidence is requiring photo ID to ensure the person casting a ballot is who they claim to be. Thirty-five states already require some form of identification at the polls, and we should encourage more to follow.
Voting in elections should be reserved only for U.S. citizens. Currently, Washington, D.C., and New York City allow noncitizens to vote. Washington, D.C.’s law is so ridiculous it will let embassy staff from Russia and China vote after living in the capital for just 30 days. Our bill prohibits federal funds from going to places that allow noncitizens to vote and stops noncitizens from voting in Washington, D.C.
The second pillar of the ACE Act will exercise Congress’s constitutional responsibility over Washington, D.C. Reforms will not only prohibit noncitizens from voting, but also implement strong voter photo ID laws, require annual voter list maintenance, and stop the unsolicited mailing of ballots to unmaintained lists. After years of mismanaged elections, our nation's capital will become a model for states.
The final pillar of the bill is focused on protecting political speech. Many people have grown concerned that their First Amendment rights will be suppressed or that their beliefs will be weaponized against them. The ACE Act will permanently prohibit federal agencies, such as the IRS, from asking for nonprofit organizations’ donor lists, creating ad hoc standards, and applying them to ideologically opposed groups. This section of the bill will also bring greater transparency and accountability into the federal campaign finance system.
The public deserves confidence in our elections. House Republicans made a "Commitment to America" to restore government by the people, for the people. Congress has the opportunity to pass the most transformative conservative election integrity legislation for the first time in a generation.
The Left is already attacking the ACE Act, just as they attacked Georgia’s election integrity law. But protecting our elections is too important to back down. Today’s introduction of the ACE Act is the first step in this fight.
Original source can be found here.
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