Election Assistance Commission

Floor Speech

* 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.

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