CONYERS Convenes Forum on Kobach Voter Commission, Calls for Kobach to Step Down

Ahead of Trump’s  voter commission’s first meeting, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. convened a forum with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and  House Judiciary Committee Democrats to examine voting rights and privacy concerns related to recent requests made by the commission’s co-chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, to obtain detailed voter-roll information.

During the forum, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan-Grimes, Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill, Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Janai Nelson of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund spoke out against the commission’s requests for sensitive voter data and raised concerns about the commission’s motives.

In addition to the forum, Conyers joined Reps. Elijah E. Cummings, Bennie G. Thompson, and Robert A. Brady in sending a letter to Vice President Michael Pence to request that he ask for the resignation of Kris Kobach from his position as the Vice Chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, and that he rescind Mr. Kobach’s unprecedented request for sensitive voter information.

In June, the Congressional Black Caucus sent letters to the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors raising concerns that these requests may lead to voter suppression and privacy violations.  The Congressional Hispanic Caucus also sent a letter to the Secretaries of State to raise concerns.

2017-07-18.EEC Conyers Thompson Brady to Pence-WH Re Election Integrity ... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

Letter to Secretaries of State on Pence-Kobach Commission Letter (4) by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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CONYERS, CUMMINGS, THOMPSON & BRADY to VP Pence: Remove Kobach from Election Commission and Rescind Request for Sensitive Voter Information

Washington, DC (July 18, 2017)—Today, Reps. John Conyers, Jr., Elijah E. Cummings, Bennie G. Thompson, and Robert A. Brady, Ranking Members of the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Judiciary, Homeland Security, and House Administration, sent a letter, below, to Vice President Michael Pence requesting that he ask for the resignation of Kris Kobach from his position as the Vice Chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, and that he rescind Mr. Kobach’s unprecedented request for sensitive voter information.

“Mr. Kobach has repeatedly claimed, falsely, that widespread voter fraud exists and advertises his work on the Commission to promote his own campaign for governor of Kansas,” the Members wrote. “These actions undermine the integrity of the Commission and raise significant concerns that the Commission will be used as a tool for voter suppression.”

Conyers, Cummings, Thompson, and Brady stated that Mr. Kobach appeared to violate the Hatch Act by using his official role on the Commission to further his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and solicit campaign contributions  campaign website that tout his work on the Commission.

“Mr. Kobach’s partisan activity and his recent sanctions for dishonesty before a court of law cast a shadow over the Commission and undermine its integrity,” the Members wrote. “Mr. Kobach should step down as Vice-Chair and be replaced with an individual who can be trusted to ensure that the Commission operates in a bipartisan manner to protect voter information and to protect the right of Americans to vote.”

Conyers, Cummings, Thompson, and Brady expressed grave concerns with Mr. Kobach’s unprecedented request on behalf of the Commission for sensitive voter data, its failure to specify how that information would be used, its failure to provide clear or sufficient safeguards to protect sensitive voter information, and the Commission’s initial secret phone call that appears to violate the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

“These actions openly flout federal privacy and transparency laws,” the Members wrote.  “The Commission has not offered any plan to protect its proposed nation-wide voter database, even after federal officials have confirmed that voter databases in at least 21 states were hacked in last year’s election by Russia.”

The Members explained that Mr. Kobach’s request has deeply alarmed voters, who are reportedly contacting election officials with fears about the Administration’s intent and requesting to cancel their voter registrations to protect private data.

“We have serious concerns that Mr. Kobach’s purpose in gathering state voter rolls is to conduct a data-matching project that matches each state voter list with other federal databases, in an attempt to discover and then potentially purge purported ‘fraudulent registrations,’” The Members wrote.  “The Commission should explore increasing access to voting, not perpetuating the false and damaging notion that massive voter fraud exists in our nation’s elections.  We will fiercely oppose any attempt by this Administration to suppress the vote and undermine the protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, the National Voter Registration Act, the Voting Rights Act, and other important voter protection laws.”

The Members requested that Pence address several questions about the Commission at its upcoming meeting on July 19, including how it will ensure future compliance with privacy and transparency laws. They also requested documents relating to the purpose of the Commission and how it plans to use state voter information.

Recent reports show that Kris Kobach has proposed making voter registration requirements much stricter – potentially limiting access to the ballot box. In addition to today’s letter, the Congressional Black Caucus and House Judiciary Committee Democrats will host a forum today at 3 p.m. to examine concerns related to Kobach’s requests and proposal. 

2017-07-18.EEC Conyers Thompson Brady to Pence-WH Re Election Integrity ... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Conyers, Larson, and Brady Sign Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Uphold Contribution Limits

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Ranking Member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) of the House Judiciary Committee, joined Congressman John B. Larson (D-Conn.), Chairman of the Task Force on Election Reform, and Ranking Member Robert A. Brady (D-Penn.) of the Committee on House Administration, in submitting an Amicus brief to the Supreme Court regarding the upcoming McCutcheon v. FEC case. The three leading members were joined on the brief by 82 fellow members of the House of Representatives in urging the Court to uphold portions of the “McCain-Feingold” Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. This act restricted the total dollar amount of aggregate contributions a donor may make to candidate committees and other non-candidate political entities, such as political parties and PACs.

Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.): “The Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision has had an unquestionably corrosive impact on preventing corruption in our democratic process, and permitting corporate and special interests to make near limitless campaign contributions. To remedy this, I joined alongside 84 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, in the case of McCutcheon v. FEC, urging the Court to support aggregate contribution limits. With our campaign finance laws under assault, I hope that the Supreme Court recognizes the importance of protecting one of the most important vestiges of electoral integrity.”

Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn): "In the past few years, several high profile Supreme Court cases have opened the floodgates for special interest money to enter our electoral process by weakening long established regulations on campaign contributions. This fall, the Supreme Court will have another opportunity to either allow special interests a new avenue in their relentless pursuit to buy-and-sell our elections, or prevent further corruption by upholding contribution limits vital to the integrity of our system. I’m proud to have joined 84 of my colleagues in sending an amicus brief to the Supreme Court asking them to uphold aggregate contribution limits as they argue McCutcheon v. FEC, and continue this essential check on the excessive role of money on our elections.”

Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-Penn.): “I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting current campaign contribution limits. The Supreme Court has long held that contribution limits are a constitutional exercise of Congress’s regulatory authority. Contribution limits are necessary to guard against corruption and ensure that elected officials work to represent the constituents that elected them rather than further the narrow interests of wealthy contributors.  The unchecked influx of secret, unlimited money after the Court’s Citizens United decision continues to further erode the faith the American public has in its elected officials. Striking down aggregate contribution limits would be devastating to our democracy.”

McCutcheon v. FEC is scheduled for oral argument before the Supreme Court this October. Being challenged is the constitutionality of the current aggregate contribution limits that have been in place since the enactment of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. Currently, this places a $48,600 limit for individual contributions to federal candidate committees combined and no more than $74,600 to all PACs and parties combined in a two-year cycle. If the Supreme Court rules to end these limits, donors may directly contribute upwards of $3.5 million dollars to candidate committees and other non-candidate entities, such as national political parties, state political parties, and non-party committees. Many legal analysts believe a ruling striking down these aggregate limits could pave the way for a  future decision which could eliminate all contribution limits, including individual candidate contribution limits, leading to unlimited direct campaign contributions.

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The Voter Empowerment Act: More necessary than ever

By Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.)

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

There is no more important right in our society than the right to vote – it is the basis of all of our other rights. It is why generations of Americans have fought and died for the right to vote. And as a result of their sacrifices, today government and society as a whole has become more reflective of the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution.    

Given the importance of this hard-fought right, the American people deserve an election system that not only protects but enhances every eligible voter’s ability to register, cast a ballot, and participate in our democracy. But rather than improve access to the ballot box, over the past year states have enacted laws which undermine this fundamental right.

Legislatures across the country have ended same day voter registration. Many have limited or eliminated early voting opportunities and severely restricted voter mobilization drives. And states have adopted restrictive photo identification requirements which exclude common forms of identification. These laws are barriers to voting and could disenfranchise millions of eligible minority, elderly, military, student, and low-income voters.

U.S. Representative
Bob Brady

As the Ranking Members of the Committees on the Judiciary and House Administration, we believe strongly in Congress’ role as a guardian of voting rights.  In light of this recent trend, Congress must do more to ensure all American citizens are able to freely exercise this precious right. That is why we have joined with Representative John Lewis, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn and many of our House colleagues in introducing the Voter Empowerment Act.       

Congress has long acted on a bipartisan basis to protect and expand the right to vote. Since it originally passed in 1965, Congress has voted three times to enhance the Voting Rights Act, including reauthorizing the Act in 2006.  In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act which improved access to voter registration and provided protection from wrongful purges on voter rolls. And in 2002, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act to enhance voters’ access to the ballot box. Protecting and enhancing the right to vote is a long-standing Congressional prerogative. 

The Voter Empowerment Act protects the integrity of elections by improving eligible voters’ access to the ballot box. It modernizes voter registration using existing technology to automatically and permanently enroll consenting eligible voters while also making certain voter information is secure and accurate.  It would also provide for online registration, allow same day voter registration at the poll, and simplifies the registration process for members of the military serving overseas. The bill also ensures the integrity of elections by providing funds to better train poll workers and by banning officials in charge of elections from participating in campaigns.                    

The first political campaign after passage ofVoting Rights Act.

Additionally, this legislation protects voting rights by outlawing vote caging and deceptive practices designed to interfere with an individual’s right to vote through intimidation and misinformation. Voter caging is the practice of sending mail to voters at their addresses maintained on voter rolls, creating a list of the mail that is returned as undeliverable or without a return receipt, and using that list to purge or challenge a voters’ registrations on the basis that the voters on the list do not legally reside at their registered address. The bill declares that a voter shall not be denied the right to vote unless the challenge is corroborated by independent evidence, and it also prohibits persons other than election official from challenging a voter’s eligibility based on voter caging and other questionable challenges. Majority-minority neighborhoods are often the target of this practice. And Vote caging disproportionately harms individuals who change addresses often such as students and service members.  

These are common sense steps Congress can take to ensure every eligible voter who desires to participate can do so and that federal elections proceed in a fair and transparent manner. Given there is an election six months away, it is our hope that our colleagues on the Committees on the Judiciary and House Administration will demonstrate their commitment to the democratic process by holding hearings on the Voter Empowerment Act.

The loudest sound that exists in a democratic society is the voice of a voter in an election. Ensuring that every minority, every service member, every senior citizen, and every student has the right to vote should not be a partisan issue.
                           
Rep. Conyers (D-Mich.) is the ranking Democrat on the the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Brady (D-Pa.) is the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee.

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