[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ELECTION SUPPORT CONSOLIDATION AND EFFICIENCY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2011

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to 
H.R. 672 ``Election Support Consolidation and Efficiency Act.'' This 
bill seeks to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to terminate the 
Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the EAC Standards Board, and the 
EAC Board of Advisors 61 days after enactment of this Act. It also 
requires that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
perform EAC functions with respect to certain existing contracts and 
agreements during the transition period for finishing EAC affairs.
  I oppose this bill because it undermines the intent behind the Help 
America Vote Act. Let me remind those who have forgotten of the chaos 
in the days following the election of 2000. Congress passed the Help 
America Vote Act in 2002 which helped create the Election Assistance 
Commission. The EAC was created to help state and local election 
officials use current technology and best practices when overseeing 
elections.
  The EAC oversees voting-system testing and certification. The EAC 
tests and certifies voting machines for use in elections to safeguard 
against the problems of 2000 election in Florida; and creates voluntary 
voting guidelines for states, instilling confidence in the democratic 
process of this country for all voters.
  The Commission also develops and fosters the training and 
organization of more than 8,000 election administrators throughout the 
nation.
  The EAC's certification program is helping state and local 
governments save money by using its oversight role to coordinate with 
manufacturers and local election officials to ensure that the existing 
equipment meets its durability and longevity potential. This saves 
state and local governments from the unnecessary expense of new voting 
equipment.
  The Commission plays a major role in collecting accurate and 
comparable election data.
  Living in a nation guided by the spirit of democracy and by which the 
American people are the voices for change, I do not see how H.R. 672 
can continue this legacy. Without the EAC, there would be no federal 
agency focused on improving the quality of elections. With this, the 
American people will lose faith in our democracy and, to tell you the 
truth so will I.
  The American people have not forgotten the chaos of the 2000, and let 
us ensure that this Congress remembers those troubling days as well. We 
must never forget the feeling of fear and uncertainty as the fabric of 
our democracy and our faithful constitution was put to test. I feel for 
scores of votes in Florida, whose voices were not heard as fraud and 
corruption consumed polling stations. As a representative of Texas, a 
state of over 20 million people, I refuse to have any voice of Texas' 
constituents, or mine of the 18th district, be stifled by those who 
think otherwise.
  In the society we live in, it is often those who cannot defend 
themselves or those with limited political power whose voices are often 
overshadowed. Among this group are oftentimes the poor, women, the 
uneducated, the inept, and the elderly. The EAC has worked tirelessly 
to end this trend. Through research, grant-making and the development 
of voting guidelines, the Election Assistance Commission is helping 
many groups gain their Constitutional right to vote, including racial 
and ethnic minorities, members of the Armed Services (especially those 
serving overseas), disabled Americans and senior citizens.
  The EAC has worked to improve the accessibility of more than 37 
million disabled voters with disabilities.
  It also has worked to create electronic voting systems for our brave 
men and women in uniform fighting overseas so that they are able to 
vote abroad.
  Considering my belief that the termination of the EAC would untangle 
progress our democracy has made in bringing uniformity and equality 
among states in the voting process, I strongly urge opposition to this 
bill. If the EAC is terminated, it is very likely we will see many more 
elections like the election of 2000. If we care about the legacy of our 
democracy and our constitution, I urge opposition to H.R. 672.

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