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H.R. 1: The Corrupt Politicians Act

H.R. 1 would force American taxpayers to fund career politicians’ campaigns, undermine election security, and cancel local and state laws.

TOP TAKEAWAYS

• H.R. 1 would use taxpayer dollars to fund career politicians’ campaigns and let them use the money to cover their personal expenses while they run for office.
• Democrats want to cancel states’ voter ID laws and remove basic election security protections.
• This legislation would remove safeguards on absentee voting, allowing anyone to vote by mail without ID or a witness signature.
• States would be forced to keep ineligible voters, such as those who have moved out of the state, on the rolls.
• H.R. 1 would threaten the security of our elections, removing strong safeguards and ballot protections that give Americans confidence in our democratic process.

THREATEN THE SECURITY OF OUR ELECTIONS

• Democrats’ H.R. 1 would be a disaster for election integrity, opening up our elections to rampant fraud and abuse.
• Democrats want to roll back protections against fraud and open up the doors to ballot harvesting, false voter registrations, duplicate voting, and ineligible voting.
• H.R. 1 sabotages state voter ID laws, making it possible for individuals to show up at the polls with no ID and simply sign a statement that they are who they claim to be.
  • Democrats want to effectively cancel the voter ID laws put in place by 36 states.
  • Voter ID has resounding public support, with polls showing that 75% of Americans support requiring a photo ID for voting.
  • Voter ID requirements have broad support across party lines, including 60% of Democrats and 77% of independents.
• In a nightmare for election integrity, this legislation would force states to adopt same day voter registration, implement automatic registration, and keep ineligible voters on the rolls – all while canceling state voter ID requirements.
  • Paired with the nullification of state voter ID requirements, these provisions represent a clear danger to the security of our elections.
  • With universal same day registration, state officials would have no time to verify the accuracy of voter information.
  • H.R. 1 would automatically register people simply using state databases would only make it harder for states to keep voter rolls up to date and free of ineligible voters.
  • States would also be required to restore voting rights for felons under H.R. 1.
• Democrats want to get rid of all safeguards and open up absentee voting to anyone and everyone, allowing people to vote absentee without ID or witness signature requirements.
  • Democrats’ bill would also mandate ballot harvesting nationwide, which has been the cause of fraud and abuse in cases across the country.
• Democrats’ legislation would put new restrictions on the ability of election observers to file complaints with officials regarding suspicious voter registrations.
• Despite Democrats talking for years about the need for stronger election security, H.R. 1 represents the greatest threat today to the security of our elections.
  • Schumer, Pelosi, and other Democratic leaders talked endlessly about the need to strengthen election security following the 2016 election.

PROVIDES TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR CAREER POLITICIANS

• H.R. 1 would be a windfall for career politicians in D.C. at the expense of the American taxpayers.
• Under this legislation, the government would provide up to 600% match for political donations under $200.
  • For example, if someone donated $100 to a candidate the government would then provide $600 to that candidate in addition to the initial donation – with taxpayers footing the bill.
  • Small dollar political donations topped $2.7 billion in the 2020 cycle, putting taxpayers potentially on the hook for billions more if that same pattern kept up under H.R. 1.
  • Democrats themselves saw more than $1.7 billion in small dollar donations in 2020 and hope to continue cashing in on that fundraising with this legislation.
• H.R. 1 would significantly expand what kind of expenses candidates can use this windfall of taxpayer funded donations for.
  • For example, candidates would be able to use these donations for personal childcare and benefits for their campaign staff.
• Democrats ultimately want to force American taxpayers to fund campaigns for politicians they may disagree with without any say in the matter.

SEIZES ELECTIONS FROM THE STATES

• Democrats’ H.R. 1 is a Federal power grab that would seize the running of our elections from state and local governments and cancel the policies put in place by duly elected officials.
  • Voters put their state and local officials in office knowing what their election policies would be, Democrats want to cancel that vote.
• 20 state Attorneys General from across the country signed onto a letter denouncing the bill’s seizure of state and local authority.
  • In the letter, they wrote: "The Act would invert that constitutional structure, commandeer state resources, confuse and muddle elections procedures, and erode faith in our elections and systems of governance.”
• Democrats’ bill would cancel the voter registration policies implemented by state and local officials, forcing states to adopt same day voter registration and automatic registration.
• H.R. 1 would force a one size fits all mail voting system on all states.
• H.R. 1 takes away states’ ability to regulate their own congressional districts and cedes their authority to independent commissions created by Washington.
• Democrats’ attempt to federalize our elections is designed to rig the system in their favor and put more power in the hands of Washington politicians.

INFRINGES ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT

• Democrats are using H.R. 1 to stifle free speech by forcing the public disclosure of Americans who donate to non-profit organizations.
• At a time of heightened political rhetoric and division, Democrats’ legislation would punish Americans who wish to participate in our civic process.
• Seeing the threat this legislation poses to the first amendment, even the ACLU has come out in opposition to H.R. 1’s disclosure requirements.
  • In a letter on H.R. 1, the ACLU made clear that the bill’s provisions “would chill the speech of issue advocacy groups and non-profits.”
• Democrats want to use disclosure requirements to cancel and intimidate Americans whose views don’t align with their left-wing agenda.

To learn more about H.R. 1, The Corrupt Politicians Act, visit Heritage Action for America’s election integrity toolkit HERE.