[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E265-E266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 6, 2019

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) to expand 
     Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of 
     big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public 
     servants, and for other purposes:

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, H.R. 1, the ``For the People Act of 
2019'' addresses many significant challenges to our democratic 
institutions and the conduct of federal elections. The very foundation 
of our democracy depends on ensuring that our elections are fair, 
accurate, and freely accessible to all American citizens. We have 
witnessed in the last few years the roll back of voting rights to

[[Page E266]]

a time I had truly hoped would remain in the past. We must continue to 
be vigilant against anything that would impede the right to vote. We 
must also protect our democratic institutions for the people, and not 
just for a few wealthy interests.
  The U.S. election system is complex and highly decentralized, 
encompassing approximately 10,000 local, county, and state election 
offices. States and local jurisdictions face a number of challenges in 
their administration of federal elections, including outdated and 
insecure technology. Most of us are on screens all day long and have 
become accustomed to the convenience. There are probably some young 
people that don't like to read on paper at all. However, when it comes 
to electronic voting systems, these same conveniences may be subject to 
technical malfunctions as well as significant cybersecurity risks that 
have already been shown, in real elections, to undermine Americans' 
constitutional right to vote.
  The last major voting legislation was passed almost two decades ago. 
It created several new responsibilities for the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with the Election Assistance 
Commission, election administrators, and manufacturers on voting 
systems technology standards development. The Science Committee was 
active in the development of that language.
  Today's bill, H.R. 1, makes an effort at expanding NIST's role in 
voting and elections technology. While I support H.R. 1 overall, I do 
have some concerns with the proposed new scope of activities for NIST. 
NIST's core mission is measurement science and standards. Most people 
have never heard of NIST and don't understand what it does, but NIST 
plays a central and unique role in advancing U.S. competitiveness as 
well as in cybersecurity across the public and private sector. The 
agency has no regulatory authority, which allows it to win the trust of 
and work closely with industry and all kinds of stakeholders in the 
standards development process. The Science Committee has worked very 
hard to preserve this standards development function of NIST. NIST 
expressed concern to us that some of the language in this bill may 
compromise the agency's ability to work closely with states and 
counties on elections technology. In addition, while other provisions 
in the bill are better aligned with NIST's mission and worthy of 
support, we must ensure there is additional funding for NIST to 
accomplish these important goals. As this bill moves through the 
legislative process, I look forward to working with my colleagues in 
the House and Senate to address both of these issues.
  Election and voting integrity and security are important to everyone 
in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle, and my colleagues on the 
Science Committee are eager to present legislative ideas for the role 
of NIST in voting and elections technology, as well as recommendations 
for sufficient levels of support to ensure the agency can succeed in 
this mission.
  Mr. Chair, I support H.R. 1 and urge its passage.

                          ____________________