[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 49 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE ``FIXING THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
                                 ACT''

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 23, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, along with Representative Honda 
(D-CA), I am reintroducing the ``Fixing the Federal Voting Assistance 
Program Act'' which would do two things: (1) make the Director of the 
Federal Voting Assistance Office a presidential appointee confirmable 
by the Senate, and (2) create an advisory board to strengthen oversight 
of the office to ensure better access to the ballot by overseas 
military and civilian voters.
  The Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP) is the government's 
primary office for helping ensure access to the ballot for thousands of 
overseas voters, both civilian and military, in recent elections. This 
legislation is designed to bring greater attention to the voting office 
in the Department of Defense and enhanced oversight to ensure that it 
does its job of providing greater access to voting for our soldiers, 
sailors and airmen, their families, as well as civilians living 
overseas.
  The ``Fixing the Federal Voting Assistance Program Act'' is a 
necessary step in ensuring that overseas voters are counted in 
elections. I believe that Americans serving in the military abroad or 
civilians residing overseas still do not have adequate help from the 
government in facilitating their right of access to the ballot. 
Representative Honda and I believe we need to start working on 
improving access to the next election now while the problems are still 
fresh in our minds so that we are not facing them again in 2010.

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