117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION – H.R. 1
For The People Act
To expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.
Learn more about what is in the For the People Act (H.R. 1)?
- Voting Reform
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Ethics Reform
| H.R. 1 Tenet | Sections of the For the People Act |
|---|---|
| Voting Access and Security | – Modernize voter registration – Automatic voter registration – Same-day registration – Reaffirming rolls for eligible voters – Interstate cross checks – Election result audits – Enhancing security protections – Prevent hacking – Independent redistricting – End Gerrymandering – Improved disability access – Prohibit voter caging – Prevent voter intimidation – Permanent paper ballots – Consistent early voting – Voting by mail access – Uniformed services access – Overseas voter access – Poll worker training – Federal election integrity – Restore the Voting Rights Act |
| Campaign Finance | – Transparency on secret money – Report foreign interference – Close foreign spending loopholes – Campaign finance reporting – Strengthen advertising oversight – Shine light on ad funding – Notify states of disinformation – Prohibiting deep-fake videos – Remove lobbyist exemptions – Inform shareholders of political spending – Government contractor disclosure – Democracy Dollar pilot program – Verify validity of campaign expenditures – Stop Super PAC coordination |
| Ethical Standards | – Foreign agent registration – Lobbying disclosure reform – Recusal of appointees – Ethics reforms for Congress and Executive Branch – Creates code of judicial conduct for Supreme Court – Conflicts of interest reforms for Congress and executive – Executive branch ethics pledge – White House ethics transparency – Ethics enforcement – Political fundraising ethics reform – Transition team ethics reform – Political appointee travel reform – Congressional lobbying disclosure – Outside compensation disclosure |
What is the misinformation machine Saying about the For The People Act?
| What Critics Are Saying | What The Reality Is |
|---|---|
| Critique: H.R. 1 is unconstitutional. | Reality: Article I, Section 4, Clause 2 of the US Constitution reads: “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.” What does this mean? It means, Congress may lawfully create standards and regulations for voting in Federal elections. This is a duty, prescribed to Congress by the founders in the United States Constitution. The 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments to the Constitution were made to ensure that the right to vote cannot be denied or abridged based on race, color, or conditions of servitude, ensure that that women can vote, and ensure that any citizen over 18 can vote respectively. |
| Critique: H.R. 1 will permanently destroy voting in America. | Reality: There is nothing anti-democratic about ensuring that the American people can vote safely and securely to have their voices heard. Voters of all political stripes should have confidence in their right to vote and should never have to worry that error-prone systems would deny this basic American right. H.R. 1 includes many provisions drawn from well-established practices in red and blue states. (Ref. 1) |
| Critique: This bill only helps Democrats win elections. | Reality: A number of provisions have bipartisan origins. (Ref. 1) America should want all eligible voters to cast a ballot in a secure and traceable way. No one party is helped by having paper ballots to ensure recount accuracy. No one party is helped by making voting accessible. H.R. 1 draws from best-practices where the states enact the lessons learned. For example, 39 states, red and blue, already have early voting. Consistent access also provides election officials the time to resolve any problems. |
| Critique: This bill will force mail-in voting & weaken election security. | Reality: Democracy requires participation, security and transparency. H.R. 1 delivers and puts power in the people’s hands. Twenty-nine states, red and blue, already have mail in voting (Ref. 2) H.R. 1 does not mandate mail in voting, however, it helps eligible voters have the freedom to choose. Four states, including Utah, already conduct all elections exclusively by mail. President Trump voted by mail from his home in Florida in the 2020 election. In addition, provisions in the bill tackle hacking and foreign interference, guarantee paper ballots to keep a paper trail and encourage election audits to maintain safety and security. |
| Critique: This bill creates an inefficient federal bureaucracy. | Reality: Elections are still governed and overseen by states. What H.R. 1 does is create standards that are consistent across the land and encourages process improvements. The states are able to meet the requirements in any way they see fit, and they can still work with a national consortium (Ref. 3) to maintain voter rolls. In addition, H.R. 1 fixes a messy patchwork of state regulations so that the voting process is clear. For example, six states require the voter to return a ballot, ten states allow a family member to return a ballot, twenty-six allow voters to designate a returnee and thirteen states have no law on the books (Ref. 4). With consistent guidance, states can use their own efficiencies to meet federal minimums. |
| Critique: This bill will create a gag for free speech & eliminate support for candidates. | Reality: This is simply not true. Keep your yard signs. Go door knocking. Support your candidates within FEC guidelines. And please get out to register new voters. However, do not solicit foreign money and don’t hack the election. And politicians should not be able to use deceptive practices like deep-fake videos. Dark money should not be equated with free speech. If left unregulated, it will create corruption. The bill requires disclosure of contributions over $10,000 to politically active nonprofits. That is not unreasonable for transparency, and the regulations apply to candidates of both parties. Transparency is what everyone should want for their elections. Everyone should want to know who is holding the pocketbooks of politicians…and it should be the constituents. |
| Critique: The bill’s redistricting provisions will be swamp-controlled to help one party. | Reality: Redistricting should not be political. Redistricting should be based on the data for population growth and movement. It should not be a politician’s way of choosing his/her own voters. Safe districts (left or right) should not be tolerated anymore. If politicians of any political cloth do not deliver, they should be voted out. The only people who DO NOT want this are those in the swamp because they are safe when they choose their voters and draw their own Congressional maps. Fourteen states including Alaska, Arizona and Arkansas have an independent commission, while six states have independent advisory boards (Ref. 5). In addition, the swamp is the only place where ethical standards would be rebutted. The ethical standards apply to all federal politicians, their appointees and Congress. |
| Critique: This forces nationwide same day registration. With this bill, all voter ID Laws will be banned. | Reality: Only eligible United States Citizens can vote in American elections. Period. Eligible individuals should be able to vote on election day. This is called democracy. Individuals that are eligible on the day of a federal election should be able to cast a ballot as is the case in twenty-one states including Wyoming, Iowa and Wisconsin with proof of residency and a voter ID. (Ref. 6). The practice of voter ID will not be banned. However, any eligible voter should be able to cast a ballot and will do so under the penalty of perjury (Ref. 7). |
References
- CampaignLegal.org: (LINK)
- National Conference of State Legislators: (LINK)
- Electronic Registration Information Center: (LINK)
- National Conference of State Legislatures: (LINK)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (LINK)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (LINK)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (LINK)
