Evans votes for major reform package that includes voting rights protections

Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) today voted for a major government reform package, H.R. 1, that includes provisions to restore and protect voting rights and to make it easier to vote.

"Your vote is your voice, and in too many states, including Pennsylvania, voter suppression laws and tactics have been used to try to silence people of color, low-income people, young people and senior citizens. That is wrong and the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives is taking action," Evans said. "This historic package of reforms also includes measures that would actually ‘drain the swamp,' which is badly needed after two years of the Trump administration."

Since 2010, 25 states have enacted significant restrictions on voting, including 14 with restrictive voter ID laws, 12 with new restrictions on registration and seven shortening or eliminating early voting. Pennsylvania Republicans passed a voter ID law in 2011 that was struck down in court. A Republican legislative leader famously said in 2012 that the voter ID law would help Mitt Romney defeat President Obama in Pennsylvania.

In addition, millions of voters have been removed from voter rolls across the country – at higher rates in mostly southern states that were formerly subject to the Voting Rights Act's preclearance provisions – and polling stations have been closed at an accelerated rate.

Evans said H.R. 1 incorporates key provisions of Rep. John Lewis' Voter Empowerment Act, and would dismantle systemic, discriminatory barriers to voting by ending the indiscriminate purging of eligible voters from the rolls, restore voting rights to people with felony convictions after they have completed their prison sentences, establish automatic voter registration, and expand absentee and early voting. Pennsylvania has no early voting and limits absentee voting.

H.R. 1, the For the People Act, also would end the dominance of big money in our politics and empower American citizens by establishing a voluntary small-donor matching system funded by wealthy tax cheats and corporate lawbreakers, shining a light on secret money in politics through increased donor disclosure requirements, and strengthening campaign finance oversight. H.R. 1 also reaffirms that Congress and the states have the authority to regulate campaign contributions and spending – pushing back on the Supreme Court's Citizens United and Buckley decisions.

"Reining in big money in our politics would allow us to make more progress on things that matter to working people, like lowering prescription drug costs," Evans said.

H.R. 1 also would fight the culture of corruption in Washington. It would make critical changes to fortify ethics laws and increase accountability from public officials to ensure they are serving the public's interests, not special interests. It would require all presidential and vice presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, ban members of Congress from serving on for-profit, corporate boards, slow the revolving door between public service and special interests and tighten rules on lobbyists and foreign agents, and stop members of Congress from using taxpayer dollars to settle harassment lawsuits. It also would require all presidential appointees to recuse themselves from any matter in which a party is the president, the president's spouse, or any entity in which the president or the president's spouse has a substantial interest.

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Media Contact: Ben Turner, Ben.Turner@mail.house.gov