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Chairman Steil's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:
Today, the Committee on House Administration continues its oversight of our nation’s elections.
We are now 55 days away from Election Day.
Voting has already begun in some States.
Delaware has already mailed out ballots, and absentee ballots in my home State of Wisconsin need to be mailed out by next Thursday.
With us today are six Secretaries of State who are here to discuss their preparations for the upcoming election.
The purpose of this hearing is to fully review and explore the status of States’ election prepardness.
We’ll cover any array of topics.
We’ll hear from Ohio about their recent effort to remove noncitizen voters.
Florida, who has unique challenges with natural disasters.
Each State faces unique challenges in their election administration.
By ensuring States are properly equipped to administer their elections, more Americans can have confidence in how their elections are run and in the result.
As we approach November 5th, Americans remain concerned about election integrity.
As Chairman, I’m committed to working with States to ensure elections can run smoothly and without foreign interference.
More confidence leads to greater participation, which is a good thing for our country.
I will continue working to strengthen election integrity.
This Committee has passed comprehensive election integrity legislation this Congress.
We’ve passed the SAVE Act.
We’ve examined the influence private and foreign funding has in our elections.
This week, we’re rolling out the House Election Observer Program to ensure our elections are run fairly and accurately.
We have invited you here today to discuss the upcoming election and explore your preparedness in your respective states.
Ensuring our elections are secure is of utmost importance, and I will ensure this Committee keeps working to strengthen our elections.
As mentioned above, and as each of you know, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote and provide States with the tools they need to properly maintain their voter rolls.
I’m still working for this bill to be signed into law.
We took this action after seeing evidence of noncitizens on voter rolls in many States across the country.
While all 50 States allow legal noncitizens to receive driver’s licenses, 20 States allows illegal immigrants to receive them also.
Under the NVRA, or “motor voter law,” voter registration forms are provided to everyone who receives a driver’s license, regardless of whether the applicant is a citizen.
And because noncitizens can receive driver’s licenses in every State, they inevitably also receive voter registration forms even though they cannot vote in federal elections.
As a result, we have seen States take steps to remove those noncitizens from their voter rolls.
For example, over 500 noncitizens were removed from voter rolls in Ohio, and we’re thankful that the Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, is here today to testify on that topic today.
Another issue that we will discuss today is States’ preparedness for the upcoming elections.
As we learned in 2020 and 2022, it is crucial for States to have contingency plans in the event of an emergency on or before Election Day.
Americans deserve to have confidence that their State’s election officials have a plan in place that would ensure every vote is counted according to law, regardless of outside factors.
The Committee has also provided States with resources through the Uniform State ACE Act.
The Uniform State ACE Act is a toolkit, providing States with thirteen specific election integrity measures to increase voters’ confidence and promote election integrity.
This toolkit was provided to every State and respects State autonomy, ensuring that reforms can be tailored and are effective at the local level while still aligning with national objectives to enhance election integrity.
This Committee is here to assist States in ensuring elections are fair and secure through other resources, as well.
One of those resources is the House Election Observer Program. I’m looking forward to discussing the Program with each of the Secretaries of State here today and confirming that they will provide unimpeded access to our Observers to help ensure free, fair, and secure elections.
A big part of keeping elections secure means keeping them free from foreign influence.
As Committee Chairman, I have launched an investigation into a major fundraising platform after concerns were brought forward about potential funding from foreign sources.
I have also introduced the SHIELD Act, which prevents political fundraising platforms from accepting prepaid debit gift cards.
It is imperative that this Committee continues to work to protect American elections and do all we can to assist States in doing the same.
I believe secure and fair elections are the backbone of our democracy.
As we approach the upcoming federal election, it is imperative that we take a close look at how each Secretary of State will implement federal and State election laws to guarantee that every legal vote counts.
I look forward to having an in-depth and productive conversation with each of you today.
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