[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING FAIRVOTE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 20, 2017

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, since its founding in June 1992, FairVote 
has fought creatively all over America to advance significant voting 
and electoral reforms that make American democracy more responsive, 
more accountable, and more representative. I rise to celebrate this 
visionary non-partisan and non-profit organization which, I am proud to 
say, is headquartered in the 8th District of Maryland.
   Under the exemplary leadership of its Executive Director Rob Richie 
and board chairs, former Congressman John B. Anderson and musician 
Krist Novoselic and with the energy of its youthful, talented staff, 
FairVote has worked with purpose and imagination to implement ranked-
choice voting, proportional representation, redistricting reform, the 
National Popular Vote agreement and voter preregistration for teenagers 
nationwide. FairVote's sophisticated educational campaigns have been 
teaching Americans across the country that these changes are all 
effective tools of democracy and can help us make certain that all 
Americans have their voices heard and views represented.
   Mr. Richie's distinguished career in public life has been devoted to 
democratic ideals, voting rights, and the realization of responsive and 
representative government. He has played a key role in implementing 
ranked-choice voting in over a dozen cities; in advocating the National 
Popular Vote plan across the country as states equal to 165 electoral 
votes have joined the agreement; and in promoting voter registration, 
voter access and voter participation.
   On behalf of FairVote, Mr. Richie has appeared regularly in the 
media, written for leading national publications, published nine books, 
and addressed important groups such as the American Political Science 
Association and National Conference of State Legislatures. Through 
FairVote, Richie's luminous work has changed America's conception of 
how we vote, what democracy means and how we can make strong progress 
this century. Standing with him throughout as a colleague and 
inspirational reform leader in her own right has been his wife Cynthia 
Terrell.
   As FairVote celebrates 25 years of thoughtful advocacy, I want to 
commend the group, its leaders and all affiliated with it for their 
hard work and passionate commitment not only to the principles of 
democratic inclusion and governance but to the difficult and urgently 
necessary process of electoral reform across the country. As a champion 
of electoral reform and the proud Representative from Maryland's 8th 
Congressional District, I look forward to watching the many important 
accomplishments still yet to come from Rob Richie and FairVote, 
American idealists and democratic patriots all.

                          ____________________