Washington, DC – March 8, 2019....Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the below statement following today’s House vote on H.R. 1. Womack voted against the legislation, which would waste taxpayer money, federalize the election system, weaken safeguards for voter registration, and violate the free speech rights of the American people.

“H.R. 1 dismantles the foundation of our democracy – taking power away from states and local communities, restricting the constitutional rights of voters, and forcing Arkansas taxpayers to subsidize candidates they may not support. It is bad policy that is designed to serve the Democratic Party and force the American people to foot the bill. The CBO confirmed that this legislation would create a new mandatory spending program for publicly-financed campaigns – a reckless maneuver that could drive our nation further into debt. I urge the Senate to protect our budget, defend our democracy, and reject this proposal.”

Amongst other provisions H.R. 1 would:

• Federalize our election system by taking power away from the states to determine their registration and voting practices.
• Increase the election system’s vulnerability for fraud by failing to criminalize fraudulent registrations.
• Use taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns and political ads on TV, radio, and social media.
• Place limits on free speech, protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
• Create a 6 to 1 government match to small-donor campaign contributions up to $200. This means for every $200 that a political candidate receives, the federal government will give $1200 to a politician’s campaign using your tax dollars. This program could cost billions of dollars each year.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense and transportation, housing and urban development subcommittees.

womack.house.gov

###