WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (IL-13) sent an oversight letter to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) bipartisan commissioners, building on his continued efforts to ensure that states have the resources they need to secure and enforce their election systems ahead of 2020. This letter comes in light of the inadequate and partisan oversight being conducted by the Committee's majority, which has resulted in politically driven attacks on the Commission and has centered around personnel issues.

In the letter, that also serves as a follow-up from the Committee's oversight hearing of the EAC on May 21, 2019, Ranking Member Davis writes:

"As I said at that hearing, the Election Assistance Commission should be commended for its work ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections. The Commission's nimbleness, responsiveness, and diligence has been the topic of discussion of many of my meetings with election officials across this country,"

"This nonpartisan approach to a serious issue only amplified my disappointment with the lack of focus afforded by my Democratic colleagues in their questioning during our May 21st hearing. Nearly every question posed by the Majority centered around the effectiveness and character of the EAC's Executive Director, Brian Newby, who was not called as a witness by the Majority and therefore was not present to answer their charges."

"I remain committed to ensuring that local election officials have every resource they need to provide for a secure election in 2020. Effective and focused oversight over the EAC is critically important in this mission."

You can read Ranking Member Davis' letter and his questions posed to the Commission by CLICKING HERE.


Background:
H.R. 3412, the Election Security Assistance Act was introduced by Ranking Member Rodney Davis on June 21, 2019, and focuses on assisting states to bolster their election security, unlike the Democrats' election security bill, H.R. 2722, that federally mandates paper ballot voting systems to state. The Election Security Assistance Act contains critical election security measures:

  • Election infrastructure funding
  • Appropriate security clearance assistance for election officials
  • A reporting structure for election cybersecurity incidents
  • Optional hands-on assistance through an Election Cyber Assistance Unit

The Committee on House Administration (CHA) has two principal functions, oversight of day-to-day operations in the House and oversight of federal elections. The Committee played a pivotal role in the development and passage of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), which allocated more than $3 billion to improve voting equipment, train election workers, and reform election law. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established under HAVA and serves as an interface between the federal government and state and local election officials.

Ranking Member Davis sent the oversight letter to the EAC's commissioners: Christy McCormick,Commissioner and Chairwoman; Benjamin Hovland, Commissioner and Vice Chair; Don Palmer, Commissioner; Thomas Hicks, Commissioner.

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