Ranking Member Morelle Opening Remarks at Hearing on the Election Assistance Commission

Washington, D.C. — Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) delivered the following opening remarks at the House Administration hearing on the Election Assistance Commission:

“Good morning, and thank you, Chairman Steil, for welcoming us all today.

“I want to thank our witnesses for being here this morning.

“The role of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is a critical one.  Every American must be able to cast their ballot freely, fairly, and securely, and to have their vote counted as cast. 

“Voters cannot do that without the hard work of the officials and poll workers who administer elections—the EAC’s support of these officials is crucial.

“The EAC was established more than 20 years ago by the Help America Vote Act, also known as HAVA with broad bipartisan support.

“In the past two decades, the EAC has evolved to meet its mission and adapt to a new elections landscape.  We should maintain this spirit of bipartisan support though all of this.

“As election-related mis- and disinformation has grown, voters bear a growing burden of having to sort fact from fiction.

“A trusted clearinghouse of information and resources such as the EAC is invaluable to providing voters with resources they urgently need, and ensuring election officials have the tools to educate voters and conduct safe and secure elections in an ever-changing environment.

“The EAC provides assistance as election officials face growing threats and partners with other federal agencies to address critical infrastructure needs.

“In recent years, we have seen attempts to undermine public trust and confidence in our elections and the electoral process.  And while voter confidence has improved, in the last couple of years, having a trusted messenger of election information is vital to our democracy.

“One of the most significant needs in election administration is robust and consistent funding.  Since 2018, Congress has provided more than $950 million in HAVA security grants and $400 million in CARES Act funding—but more is needed.

“Indeed, President Biden’s budget called for investing $5 billion over the next 10 years – and I fully support the President’s budget request.

“Maintaining our democracy requires resources and budgets reflects society’s priorities so we need to make sure we are consistent about this because that reflects our support for fair, open and accessible elections.

“The need for this funding is acute. Estimates for what it would cost to adequately fund elections over the next decade are in the billions of dollars. Billions of dollars. 

“Despite being designated critical infrastructure in 2017, federal investment in elections is irregular, unpredictable, and insufficient. Simply won’t do.

“We must provide sufficient, regular, and predictable funding for states and local election administrators through HAVA grants, as well as fully funding the EAC. 

“As the Ranking Member of this Committee, and a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide an adequate amount of elections funding as an investment in protecting democracy, empowering election officials to do their good work, and to improve and modernize federal elections.

“For years, the EAC was underfunded and targeted by my colleagues on the other side with measures to eliminate the agency.  I hope we have moved on from the past days and can all agree that the EAC has a critical role in our electoral process. 

“It should be equipped with the funding necessary to meet its mandate and the evolving needs of our election officials.

“I was heartened to hear, in recent testimony from Vice Chair Hovland and Commissioner Palmer, about educational tools the EAC has developed for election officials to utilize, new programs the EAC is working on such as the Field Services Program, and the regular engagement of the Commission with state and local officials, and other federal partners.

“I look forward to hearing from all the Commissioners today about the work the EAC is doing with election officials around the country, about the implementation of the updated guidelines for voting systems, and how the Commission is preparing for the 2024 elections.

“Additionally, there is always room for program improvements, and we all want to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. 

“I look forward to hearing from Inspector General Schletz about opportunities for those improvements.

“The work we do now, laying a bedrock of education about the voting process, strengthening partnerships among federal, state, and local governments will further bolster voter confidence ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

“The ‘20 and 2022 elections showed that our national democratic experiment can hold.  But we must remain steadfast in our commitment to democratic principles as we head into this next election cycle.

“I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and thank you all again for being here and for the important work that you do each and every day.

“And with that Mr. Chairman, thank you, and I yield back.”

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