The GOP must seize its chance to enact election integrity
Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01)
January 30, 2025

Republicans have a real opportunity to pass election integrity legislation and get it signed into law while President Trump is in office. Over the last two years we made great strides toward improving election security, but there is more work to be done.  
 
For the past two years, the Committee on House Administration conducted robust oversight of our nation’s elections by focusing on key issues confronting election administration. Effective oversight provides the American people with transparency. The Committee's work ranged from passing legislation to strengthen our laws to prevent noncitizen voting, to running the House’s most robust Election Observer Program ever, ensuring the 2024 election was secure. In the upcoming Congress, our work will continue to prevent foreign interference, enhance U.S. election integrity, and assist states in carrying out better election administration.  
 
Among our priorities this Congress, the Committee will continue its focus on preventing noncitizen voting. Over the last four years, President Biden allowed millions of migrants to enter our country illegally. States across the country have found noncitizens on their voter rolls. In Washington, DC, it is legal for noncitizens to vote and run for office in municipal elections. In 2024, 388 noncitizens voted in municipal elections in Washington, DC. I believe U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only. Last year, the House passed the SAVE Act, legislation to prevent noncitizen voting and provide states with access to federal databases containing citizenship information. The SAVE Act enhances our enforcement of the current law while providing states with access to the tools they need to clean their voter rolls. This is just one common sense measure that will be a focus in the coming Congress.  
 
In addition to preventing noncitizen voting, the Committee will continue its focus on preventing foreign funding in U.S. elections. Americans have long asked Congress for transparency in our campaign finance system. In response, the Committee on House Administration ramped up its investigative power to review foreign funding in U.S. elections, as well as the financial controls currently used by online donation platforms. Following my letter to ActBlue inquiring why the platform did not require a Card Verification Value, commonly referred to as a CVV, the platform added this financial control. Following my bill to prevent gift cards from being used to contribute online, the platform updated its policies to “automatically reject donations that use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gift cards, or cards from high-risk/sanctioned countries.” While this is a positive step forward, we must continue our work to ensure U.S. elections are free from foreign influence by ensuring the law permanently reflects this positive financial control.  
 
The Committee also exposed a loophole in U.S. law that allows foreign actors to influence U.S. elections. It is currently legal for foreign nationals to indirectly funnel money through 501(c) organizations. These organizations can then channel that money to Super PACs or another 501(c) to directly help a candidate or influence a policy. This loophole must be closed. The Committee has passed legislation to close this loophole and will continue working to prevent foreign funding in U.S. elections.  
 
One of the Committee’s most significant accomplishments included running the most robust Congressional Election Observer Program in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. On Election Day alone, the Committee deployed 75 trained Congressional staff to record on-the-ground, factual information for official House use during potential election contests. By deploying Designated Congressional Election Observers, including post-Election Day to Iowa’s 1st Congressional District for its recount, the Committee worked to ensure the vote was counted accurately across the country. This long-running Program will continue to serve as a key tool in our work to run safe and secure elections.  
 
The coming months present a critical opportunity to promote strong and common-sense election integrity measures. In working with President Trump and a Republican-controlled Senate, we have a unique opportunity to advance critical reforms to federal election law. I will continue working to require proof of U.S. citizenship in U.S. elections and provide states with the tools they need to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls. Our work to eliminate loopholes and enforce current laws to prevent foreign funding in our elections will continue. I look forward to working with the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Justice to ensure bad actors are held accountable. My goal is to increase Americans confidence and participation in our elections. I look forward to continuing this critical work.