WASHINGTON — With less than 18 months until the 2008 General Elections, Democrats on the Committee on House Administration opted to sidestep the bipartisan approach offered by GOP members in today's proceedings, and rammed their 11th hour attempt at election reform legislation through committee.

Despite sharp criticism from state and local election officials from over 35 states, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, the Information Technology Industry Council, and countless other organizations, Democratic members of the Committee voted in favor of the costly requirements that would be impossible for states to meet.

"Over the past several weeks, this Committee has heard from secretaries of state, election experts, concerned citizens, and other groups, urging us to reconsider passage of this bill," said Ranking Republican Vern Ehlers, R-Mich. Holding a thick stack of correspondence, Ehlers said, "that number has grown since our last meeting, and the letters continue to come in from across the nation. These are the people who are most familiar with our elections systems, telling us that they simply cannot effectively administer the 2008 election if Congress ignores their pleas and forces this legislation upon them."

After voting against all 12 amendments proposed by the GOP members, Committee Democrats forced the bill through Committee on a 6-3 party-line vote.

In addition to the consideration of H.R. 811, the Committee unanimously voted in favor of dismissing four of the five pending contests before the Committee.

For more information, please contact the Committee press office at (202) 225-8281.