Conservatives are united in opposing H.R. 1, the attempt by House Democrats to fundamentally undermine the American electoral system.
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 undermines 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)
Adam Brandon
President
FreedomWorks
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna
President
Let Freedom Ring, Inc.
Noah Wall
Vice President of Advocacy
FreedomWorks
Jessica Anderson
Vice President
Heritage Action for America
David Bozell
President
ForAmerica
Lisa B. Nelson
Chief Executive Officer
American Legislative Exchange Council
The Honorable David McIntosh
President
Club for Growth
Daniel Schneider
Executive Director
American Conservative Union (ACU)
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop
White House Advisor
President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985)
The Honorable Jim DeMint
Member, South Carolina
United States Senate (2005-2013)
Ed Corrigan
Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project and
Executive Director, Senate Steering Committee (2003-2012)
Thomas Fitton
President
Judicial Watch, Inc.
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell
Chairman
Constitutional Congress, Inc.
The Honorable Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II
President
Senate Conservatives Fund
The Honorable Hans A. von Spakovsky
Commissioner
Federal Election Commission (2006-2007)
The Honorable Tom DeLay
Former Majority Leader
US House of Representatives
Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform
Floyd Brown
Chairman
America Fighting Back PAC
The Honorable Donald Hodel
Secretary of Energy, President Reagan
Secretary of Interior, President Reagan
Rod D. Martin
Founder and CEO
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Haley E. Martin
President
The Martin Foundation
Shawn A. Mitchell
Former National Chaplain, National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA)
Ellen F. Grigsby
Director of Institutional Partnerships
Open Doors USA
Melissa Ortiz
Founder and Principal
Able Americans
Kathleen Patten
President and CEO
American Target Advertising
Allen Hebert
Chairman
American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston
Trent England
Executive Vice President
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
The Honorable George K. Rasley, Jr.
Managing Editor
ConservativeHQ.com
Ed Martin
President
Phyllis Schlafly Eagles
Roxanne Phillips
Member, Executive Committee
Council for National Policy
Seton Motley
President
Less Government
Jack Park
Conservative Donor and Activist
Ron Robinson
President
Young America’s Foundation
Mark Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs
American Target Advertising, Inc.
John F. Tate
President
America's Liberty PAC
C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
Bob Carlstrom
President
The Carlstrom Group, LLC
Gary Marx
President
Madison Strategies
Bailey Amaral
Director
The Windrose Project
The Honorable Michael R. Long
State Chairman
NYS Conservative Party
Amapola Hansberger
President
Legal Immigrants for America
Richard Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Kayla Moore
President
Foundation for Moral Law
Chad Connelly
President and Founder
Faith Wins
Robert K. Fischer
Meeting Coordinator
Conservatives of Faith
The Honorable Mike Spence
Founding President
Conservative Republicans of California
The Honorable Mike Hill
Representative
Florida State House, D1
Thomas Pyle
President
American Energy Alliance
Robert D. Thompson
Former Administrator
The Weyrich Lunch (1999-2016)
Tim Macy
Chairman
Gun Owners of America
Brett Healy
President, The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy
Jon Pritchett
CEO
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Heather Lauer
Policy Director
People United for Privacy
Dr. Kevin Roberts
Executive Director
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Becky Gerritson
Executive Director
Eagle Forum of Alabama
L. Jean Lewis
Rabbi Aryeh Spero
Caucus For America
Tom McCabe
CEO
Freedom Foundation
Norman Singleton
President
Campaign for Liberty
Mike Stenhouse
CEO
RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Annette Thompson Meeks
CEO
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Ron Pearson
Executive Director
Conservative Victory Fund
Khadine L. Ritter
Chairman
Eagle Forum of Ohio
Richard D. Hayes
Partner
Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP
Alan P. Dye
Senior Partner
Webster, Chamberlain & Bean
The Honorable Diana Denman
Presidential Appointee
President Reagan Administration
Kevin Freeman
Founder
NSIC Institute
Joseph A. Morris
Attorney and Partner
Morris & De La Rosa
Rebecca Hagelin
Secretary
Council for National Policy
Lee A. Beaman
CEO
Beaman Automotive Group
Peter Thomas
Chairman
The Conservative Caucus
Curt Levey
President
Committee for Justice
Michelle Easton
President, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
Susan A. Carleson
Chairman/CEO
American Civil RIghtt Union
Paavo Ensio
Chairman
Minerals Group
The Honorable Terrence Scanlon
Retired Chairman and President
Capital Research Center
Alfred S. Regnery
Chairman, Conservative Action Project
Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund
Marjorie Dannenfelser
President
Susan B. Anthony List
Diana Banister
President and Partner
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs
Cleta Mitchell, Esq.
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP
Myron Ebell
Director, Center for Energy and Environment, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Tom McClusky
President
March for Life Action
The Honorable Bob McEwen
U.S. House of Representatives
Former Member, Ohio
Matt Schlapp
Chairman
American Conservative Union (ACU)
Jenny Beth Martin
Chairman
Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund
William L. Walton
Chairman
CNP Action, Inc.
Rachel Bovard
Policy Director
Senate Steering Committee (2014-2015)
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.
Chief Domestic Advisor
President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988)
The Honorable Tony Perkins
President, Family Research Council
President, Council for National Policy
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.)
Executive Vice President
Family Research Council
L. Brent Bozell, III
Founder and President
Media Research Center
The Honorable Charles J. Cooper
Assistant Attorney General, President Ronald Reagan
Cooper & Kirk PLLC
J. Christian Adams
President
Public Interest Legal Foundation
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values
Tracie Sharp
President & CEO
State Policy Network
The Honorable James C. Miller III
Budget Director, President Ronald Reagan, (1985-1988)
Sherri R. Martin
Executive Vice President
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Nicholas Stehle
Campaign for the American Future
Jerry Melvin
Former Dean
Florida House of Representatives
Ralph Benko, Esq.
Senior Advisor, Economics
American Principles Project
Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment
Jenna Ellis
Director of Public Policy
James Dobson Family Institute
Sal Russo
Co-Founder and Chief Strategist
Tea Party Express
Steve Berger
Pastor
Grace Chapel
Rebekah Gantner
Executive Director, Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund
Christopher Malagisi
Host
Conservative Book Club Podcast
Richard H. Wright
CEO
AAndrews Consulting
Stuart Epperson, Sr.
Chairman
Salem Media Group
Dr. Frank Wright
President & CEO
D. James Kennedy Ministries
Kelly Kullberg
President
America Conservancy
The Honorable Jake Hoffman
President & CEO
Rally Forge
Charlie Copeland
President
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
James L. Martin
Founder/President
60 Plus Association
Saul Anuzis
President
60 Plus Association
Lew Uhler
President
National Tax Limitation Committee
The Honorable Penny Pullen
Former State Legislator
Illinois General Assembly
Jay Mount
President
MDS Communications Corporation
The Honorable Belden Bell
Co-Chair Legacy Society
The Heritage Society
The Honorable Roy S. Moore
President Emeritus
Foundation for Moral Law
Matthew Tyrmand
Principal
Matthew Tyrmand, LLC
Dr. Richard Rounsavelle
Trustee
Media Research Center
Randy M. Long
CEO
Long Business Advisors, LLC
Benjamin R. Case
Chief Executive Officer
Focused On Fundraising, Inc.
Carolee Adams
President
Eagle Forum of New Jersey
Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
Dan Weber
Founder and President, Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC)
Dr. Jameson Taylor
Vice President for Policy
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Donald Bryson
President and CEO
Civitas Institute
Emily Davenport
Vice President
Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation
Victor Riches
President & CEO
Goldwater Institute
Stella Morabito
Author
Barbara Ledeen
Brigitte Gabriel
Founder & Chairman
ACT For America
Willes K. Lee
President, National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Wayne Hoffman
President
Idaho Freedom Foundation
Rob Chambers
Vice President
AFA Action
Joseph G. Lehman
President
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
William Shaker
CEO
Washington Marketing Group
Mario Navarro da Costa
Director, Washington Bureau
Tradition, Family, Property
Sean Noble
President
American Encore
Debbie Georgatos
CEO
CWT Publications, LLC
Andresen Blom
President
Hawaiian Values
Charlie Gerow
Vice Chairman
American Conservative Union
James Clymer
Vice President, Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund
William W. Pascoe, III
Board Member
Tea Party Patriots Action
Melvin Adams
Past President
Renewanation
Judson Phillips
Founder
Tea Party Nation
Col. Francis X. De Luca USMC(Ret)
President Emeritus
Civitas Institute
Mario H. Lopez
President
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Ambassador Henry F. Cooper
President Reagan's Chief Defense and Space Negotiator & Former SDI Director
Brent Mead
CEO
Montana Policy Institute
