For the People Act of 2021

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, the Constitution vests primary responsibility in State legislatures to set the times, places, and manner of congressional elections, allowing States and localities to determine how best to conduct elections that suit the needs of voters in their communities.

But the bill before us today, and this amendment also, reverses the longstanding history of State control over the electoral process, makes unconstitutional changes to our election laws through a top-down Federal power grab, and places unprecedented limitations on political speech.

Rather than strengthening the election process by working with Republicans to find bipartisan solutions, H.R. 1 was written without any input from Republican Members. Some of the most egregious provisions include mandating that States allow ballot harvesting, mandating same-day registration in all 50 States, abolishing the signature requirements for mail-in ballots, mandating absentee ballots be accepted up to 10 days after election day, mandating that States send ballots in the mail proactively, and, finally, forcing taxpayers to pay politicians to campaign for office.

This bill is nothing more than an attempt by Democrats to cement their fragile and fleeting majorities at taxpayer expense.

The bill would limit the free speech of my voters, use my voters' tax dollars to fund candidates, and violate the Constitution by superseding the Commonwealth's ability to determine their own laws on voter eligibility.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this misguided and radical legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source