[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 203 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6748-H6749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AMENDING THE FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT OF 1971 TO EXTEND THE 
      ADMINISTRATIVE FINE PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN REPORTING VIOLATIONS

  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 2747) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend 
the Administrative Fine Program for certain reporting violations.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2747

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE FINE PROGRAM.

       Section 309(a)(4)(C)(v) of the Federal Election Campaign 
     Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30109(a)(4)(C)(v)) is amended by 
     striking ``December 31, 2023'' and inserting ``December 31, 
     2033''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.


                             General Leave

  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2747, a bill to amend the 
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine 
Program for certain reporting violations for an additional 10 years.
  Congress has previously extended this program six times, each time on 
a nonpartisan basis. I rise today to encourage my colleagues to again 
extend the authorization of this crucial program.
  The Federal Elections Commission, commonly referred to as the FEC, 
enforces Federal law that requires political committees to file reports 
of receipts and disbursements by a certain date.

                              {time}  1415

  Under the Administrative Fine Program, the FEC is able to swiftly 
resolve infractions related to late-filed or unfiled reports, ensuring 
transparency and accountability in our political process.
  Currently, the Administrative Fine Program is set to expire on 
December 31, 2023. By passing this bill today, the House will extend 
the program for an additional 10 years, ensuring the FEC can 
expeditiously assess and enforce fines against campaign committees for 
their late-filed or unfiled reports.
  Without the Administrative Fine Program, the FEC would be required to 
go through its traditional enforcement process to achieve compliance. 
This process is more costly and more time consuming. It would result in 
fewer available resources for the agency to devote to serious 
violations of campaign finance law.
  The Administrative Fine Program has been successful. Before the 
inception of the Administrative Fine Program, an average of 21 percent 
of campaign finance reports were filed late. Now, late-filed reports 
are below 10 percent, and the agency has assessed over $9 million in 
fines. It is important to note that these fines do not fund the agency 
but are deposited in the U.S. Treasury.
  Fewer late-filed reports means greater transparency for the American 
public. Greater transparency builds Americans' confidence in our 
elections.
  The bill not only accomplishes the immediate goal of efficient 
campaign finance regulation, but it also aligns with the broader 
objectives of the American Confidence in Elections Act, or ACE Act: 
transparency and our shared goal to ensure confidence in our elections.
  By passing this bill today, we can ensure the FEC enforcement 
operations continue to run smoothly. In late September, the Committee 
on House Administration considered an identical bill, H.R. 5734, and 
reported it to the full House by voice vote.
  Our Senate colleagues passed S. 2747 by voice earlier this fall, 
which means this important bill would go to the President's desk 
following passage in the House.
  I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join the 
bipartisan membership of the Committee on House Administration and the 
Senate Rules Committee to support this important measure today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from 
Wisconsin for advancing this bill.
  I rise in strong support of S. 2747, and I will probably be repeating 
and underscoring some of the things my good friend said, because this 
is important legislation. We should take time out to acknowledge how 
important it is.
  This bill extends the Federal Election Commission's Administrative 
Fine Program for certain campaign finance reporting violations, which, 
as my good friend mentioned, has been extended several times in the 
past, last time through President Trump, and this will take it through 
the end of 2033.
  The important program allows the FEC to assess administrative fines 
against those who fail to timely report their receipts and 
disbursements. The FEC relies heavily on the Administrative Fine 
Program to enforce campaign finance law.
  It has been remarkably successful, as has been said. Since the year 
2000, the FEC has made public more than 4,000 violations, and, through 
the program,

[[Page H6749]]

has assessed more than $8.8 million in fines.
  It is important to note, before the program began, an average of 21 
percent of campaign finance reports were filed late. Since the 
Administrative Fine Program has been in place, that number has been 
reduced to less than 10 percent.
  The FEC has made it clear to Congress that this program is one of the 
most effective tools it currently has to combat campaign finance 
violations, and the extension of the program, which expires at the end 
of this year, is indeed vital.
  Extending the Administrative Fine Program is the Commission's top-
priority, bipartisan legislative recommendation, and the Commissioners 
reiterated the need to extend the program during a hearing in front of 
the Committee on House Administration in September.
  Further, this extension has wide bipartisan support. A version of 
this extension, I will just note parenthetically, was included in both 
the Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act and the Republicans' ACE Act. It is 
interesting when we can get an agreement on two bills which vary pretty 
dramatically. I was grateful to partner with Chairman Steil on the 
House version of this extension.
  Transparency and accountability in campaign finance are crucial to 
ensuring a healthy democracy. More than a century ago, Associate 
Justice of the United States Supreme Court Louis Brandeis declared 
that: ``Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.'' This 
counsel, encouraging transparency and promoting good governance, 
remains vitally important to any strong civil society today.
  Transparency about who is seeking to influence Federal elections is 
crucial to democratic self-governance. This is the purpose of the FEC, 
and this bipartisan act, S. 2747, will ensure that the FEC can continue 
to use one of its most effective tools to carry out its vital mission.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support S. 2747 to 
help preserve a crucial program and key tool enforcing our Nation's 
transparency and accountability laws.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Lee), the chair of the Subcommittee on Elections of the 
Committee on House Administration and the former Florida Secretary of 
State.
  Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues 
in expressing support of S. 2747, a bill to amend the Federal Election 
Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine Program for 
certain reporting violations.
  As the expiration deadline of December 31, 2023, approaches rather 
quickly, we, the Members of the House of Representatives, have an 
opportunity to continue the trend of bipartisan oversight of the 
Federal Election Commission.
  If passed, S. 2747 will mark the seventh time that lawmakers have 
recognized the administrative importance and financially beneficial 
structure of the Administrative Fine Program.
  As the former Florida Secretary of State, I know firsthand that 
voters will always seek transparency from political candidates and 
political campaigns.
  Elections officials have a saying: Elections are partisan. Elections 
administration is not.
  This bill is an example of that very principle. It is an example of 
the transparency and the confidence that Americans want to see in their 
elections. These same themes can be found in the American Confidence in 
Elections Act, which passed out of the Committee on House 
Administration in mid-July and is an example of the types of procedures 
and principles and laws that can be guidance for every State in 
America.
  Today, we have the opportunity to showcase the cooperation, the 
diligence, and the work completed by members and staff on the Committee 
on House Administration and the Senate Rules Committee. This bill 
reflects our shared values, bipartisanship, transparency, and good 
governance.
  I urge my colleagues to support S. 2747 so the Federal Election 
Commission can continue to ensure confidence and transparency in our 
elections process.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, the ranking member on the 
Committee on House Administration, for his work in this regard.
  As noted by my colleague, sometimes we disagree on elections 
administration. We have had those debates in our committee. This piece 
of legislation is a true nonpartisan opportunity for us to come 
together to provide more transparency for the American people, in 
particular, to make sure that this important program continues in place 
at the Federal Election Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to be 
here with my colleagues. It is interesting to me, as I went home over 
the weekend, there were a number of public events. One of the things 
people are concerned about in Congress, when they watch us, is that we 
often seem to have the inability to agree on anything.
  Well, I remind people that is not always true. There are things that 
we do agree on. There are things that are important to this government 
and important to our democracy. I think this is a great example of 
people coming together on both sides to support an important tool that 
can be used to ensure our elections have the confidence of the American 
people and make sure that candidates who seek office are providing the 
kind of information necessary for transparency and accountability, as 
my good friend from Wisconsin has said.
  I thank the chairman and the members of the committee. It is a 
privilege to be here, and I encourage all colleagues to support this 
piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for speaking in support 
of this important measure. By passing the bill today, we can ensure FEC 
enforcement operations continue to run smoothly. I am urging my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join in supporting this 
measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2747.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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