[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10071]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2011

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition of 
any effort to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission. Elimination 
of the EAC appears to be part of the GOP's nationwide assault on 
voters' rights, and will exacerbate the current issues we face in 
federal elections. With a number of states adopting new voter 
Registration and ID laws that will restrict and suppress votes, this is 
the wrong time to eliminate an agency that seeks to avoid the problems 
we faced during the 2000 election in the state of Florida. The EAC is 
necessary in order to ensure the fairness and integrity of federal 
elections.
  Now, more than ever, we need an agency like the EAC, so that we can 
ensure that our democracy functions freely and fairly. The EAC is an 
independent, bipartisan agency that carries out grant programs, 
provides for testing and certification of voting systems, studies 
election issues, and assists local and state election officials by 
issuing guidelines and other important information to help them comply 
with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requirements.
  The EAC is composed of experts who are former state and local 
election officials and familiar with the challenges of election 
administration. The federal government should not eliminate the 
information gathering, information sharing and advisory role of the 
Election Assistance Commission. These functions have been crucial at 
improving federal elections, and should be strengthened rather than 
eliminated.
  Like many other states around the country, the Florida legislature 
has moved in a dangerous direction to curtail voter's rights, and we 
will need the EAC come 2012 when we see the sad consequences of 
restrictive voting laws. The new Florida law makes it difficult for 
those who recently moved between counties to cast their votes. The new 
law also limits voting accessibility by shortening the window for early 
voting from 14 days to 6 days. This will make it even more difficult 
for working Floridians and elderly voters, resulting in longer lines at 
the polls on Election Day. Lastly, the new law negatively impacts voter 
registration efforts in Florida by limiting the ability of third party 
groups to effectively register legitimate new voters. The EAC works 
with all of these issues, and if we eliminate it today, we will face 
serious challenges in the 2012 election as we seek to resolve the 
problems that may ultimately arise as a result of new election laws 
like we have in Florida.
  This bill would transfer EAC duties to the FEC, which is already 
overburdened. The FEC says they need more resources to absorb the EAC's 
duties. Other costs would simply shift to already overburdened state 
governments. The FEC does not have the capability or the expertise to 
successfully administer the certification program that is currently 
implemented by the EAC.
  The EAC creates national standards for improving accessibility for 
all Americans. Local and State officials still struggle to ensure 
accessible elections for all. For instance, a GAO report on the 2008 
election said that there were significant problems for persons with 
disabilities in gaining access to the polls. Physical barriers remain 
in far too many cases. In fact, 31 states reported that ensuring 
polling place accessibility was ``challenging.'' The EAC should be 
strengthened to ensure that we have in place strong standards that will 
improve the voting experience for all Americans. The EAC has already 
played a central role in improving the accessibility of voting for the 
country's more than 37 million voters with disabilities.
  Furthermore, the EAC's certification program is helping state and 
local governments save money. The EAC uses its oversight role to 
coordinate with manufacturers and local election officials in order 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.
  Mr. Speaker, eliminating the EAC at this time would be a regrettable 
mistake. We need to take steps to safeguard our democratic process, and 
agencies like the EAC should be strengthened in order to protect 
Americans' right to vote.

                          ____________________