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>> midco supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. the administration committee held a member's day hearing on voting rights and election laws. the hearing was open to all members of the house of representatives.

>> good meaning -- morning. let me say good morning to each and every one of you. thank you for joining us today. as we begin this hearing, i want to make a few notes, that may note that we are holding this hearing both as an in person and doing it remotely. we are doing it in compliance with the regulations for remote committee meetings. generally, members, please remember to keep your microphones muted when not speaking. this will limit background noise and you should unmute when you are recognized. if you are joining us virtually, also keep your camera on at all times. for those of you joining us in the hearing room, we are holding it in guidance with the

attending physician and everybody wear your mask except when speaking. i ask consent that the chair be authorized to declare recess at any point and that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and have any written statements be made part of the record. i hear no objection, it is therefore ordered. house resolution eight, the house rules package requires members and committees to hold a hearing during the first session of congress in which they receive testimony from members and delegates on proposed legislation within their jurisdiction. in accordance with those rules, we are holding today's members day hearing. it encompasses a wide array of matters leading to election administration and voting generally.

we take this charge very seriously. the subcommittee held five hearings focusing on voting in america and ensuring every american has free and fair access to the ballot box. the subcommittee heard testimony from more than 35 witnesses, we examined a range of topics including voter purchase, identification and proof of citizenship laws. the lack of multilingual support for voters and the quality of polling places and researches on opportunities to vote. we talked about methods of elections and the important subject of redistricting. it was willed it with discriminatory or impressive -- suppressive intent can impact the ballot box. we are pleased to hear this morning from colleagues who are not on this committee, but wish

to share their legislative ideas and proposals with us. i want to recognize my dear friend from the state of wisconsin, i wish you a very merry christmas. even though we sit on opposite side of the -- opposite sides of the aisle, i think we have a reciprocal relationship. >> thank you, i wish you a happy christmas and new year as well. i have enjoyed working with you. house rules state that during the first session, each standing committee or eat subcommittee shall hold a hearing in which it receives testimony from members at resident commissioners of proposed legislation. 348 days into the session, the chair is never -- the chair is

holding this. a federal election is important and a key piece of this committee's jurisdiction. it is only a fraction of what members should be able to speak to during a true member's hearing day. we should be able to speak to the capitol. it is not open to it people. -- it is not open to the people. we should be able to talk about metal detectors from members of congress. on the friday before christmas, it is almost like you would think the democrats are trying to hide something from their public about the bad policies of their legislation. if they did in rushing through hr one, the federal government takeover of elections. a1 side -- a one size fits all

bill on how elections should be operated. it would have gutted voter id laws. it would have restricted state'' ability to find donor roles. this process is repeating itself in the senate where they are trying to pass a compromise voting bill before the and of the year -- end of the year. the debate is a shorter version of hr one and would mandate that mail-in ballots be accepted if there are seven days after the election. it would mandate automatic voter legislation -- registration. let us take a couple seconds to reflect on what this democratic majority has done when it comes

to our role overseeing federal elections. every day, we hear from the other side about how our democracy is under threat. we hear about how critical it is that we pass partisan election bills to see our democracy. what they continue to do is a threat to our democracy. let us never forget that democrats attempted to steal an election in iowa's second congressional district despite being trying to steal a seat in new york's 32nd congressional district. they only backed down after a backlash from the public when they realized they did not have the votes to get it down. -- done. you can stop by not healing -- using sensationalized language. you can start by not trying to

steal seats. i will continue to fight to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. i appreciate our colleagues who work around the outgoing majority's attempt to do anything to make the meeting as difficult as possible. it is 5:00 a.m. in alaska. they want to be held accountable for how the house is being run. i look forward to today's discussion. i think it will be lively and i appreciate you holding today's hearing. i yield back. >> the first member i will recognize is congressman peter meyer. he represents michigan's 3rd congressional district. he is on the committee of

foreign affairs and the science, space, and technology committee. you are recognized for approximately five minutes. >> thank you for holding today's hearing. ensuring integrity remains a critical concern of mine and my republican colleagues. the legitimacy of our democratic order rests on public confidence in the integrity of our elections. in recent years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have saw to undermine the confidence and advance their personal or partisan aims. this erosion combined with the difficulties of administering the 2020 elections led to an acute crisis of confidence were baseless claims of voter fraud and suppression code one another to produce the same results. the people in this chamber should seek to restore faith in the voting public and the integrity of our elections. we have hr one.

this bill does two things. it strips states and local governments of their ability to determine how best to administer their elections. to make the federal government removed -- the primary rulemaking body. and makes the federal agency responsible for those rules exquisitely parts and by changing the structure of the fcc from six to five members. it removes the requirements of bipartisan initiative -- agreement. it also enables the irs to discriminate and do so on the basis of partisanship. politicizing the tax authorities in addition. i cannot think of a system better designed to undermine public confidence than that proposed of hr one. you remove the rulemaking authority from the public and then you make those enforcement

mechanisms exquisitely partisan. if it in the event that a majority affected above board, it would be impossible -- completely above board, it would be impossible to avoid partisanship. it would be partisan by its definition. under our structure, hr one, the conspiracy theories would be the least of our worries. as a graphing -- the dentition to abuse a person structure are more than most legislators can resist. even in detail, it is still a fiasco. i have limited time, i am unable to address the flawed provisions in this bill. the obvious consequences of replacing voter id with signed affidavits. with the dignifying the scams

with the very real american taxpayer, i don't have time to delve into the burden these mandates would impose on state and local election administrators or the wave of frivolous lawsuits and election challenges that those burdensome mandates would produce. the polar opposite of the stated aim of hr one. that is the real tragedy. the covid-19 pandemic created a nationwide extreme in election procedures. in some cases, these changes created unintended consequences the undermined voter confidence. in others, it enhanced voter confidence through solutions that improved turnout. we have the unique opportunity and imperative to work together to sort through these changes and secure the trust of the elect.

that work may not yet be done but it will not be accomplished through a partisan bills we have before us. i think you for your time and i yield back -- i thank you for your time and i yield back. >> the ranking member has joined us today. i am delighted to recognize him at this time. from the great state of illinois. he is also my neighbor. we see each other quite frequently. i appreciate your friendship and i will yield to you. >> it has been great working with you. i have enjoyed our time together on the committee at our time together as neighbors in the office building. thank you for being here today, your hard work, to i-4 coming me to share a few remarks. the people's house is beyond mismanaged. over the course of these past three years, the speaker out of the house democrats have

manipulated the rules at every turn. their weaponized institutions that support entities to consolidate power and politicize the day-to-day operations of the house. hearings were created in house rules by the democratic majority. there are the ones who check in to avoid them. hoping that our committee of members is a sign of respect. in typical fashion, the majority has pulled out all of the stops to have an audience with the committee that is responsible for the organization -- organization of the institution. i have the most respect, i know this was not his decision, but the committee is on elections. as a recap, here are a few things that happened this year under the democratic majority. they failed to properly oversee

the security of the capitol. they took no responsibility for it and made no changes since to ensure that it doesn't happen again. they are not a member to be on the house floor so that they could vote in the speaker election dates after testing positive for covid. they have politicized guidance coming from the office of the physician related to covid-19 to justify mask mandate and keep people's house is closed. toward several resumes and no mandates exist -- tors have tours have resumed and no mandates exist. in practice, only republican members have been fined despite evidence of the speaker and other democrats failing to follow the same requirements.

this committee has failed to execute even its most basic administrative functions. here are a few examples. republican member submitted to the committee a standard request to allow the mra to cover damages to a rent-a-car -- rental car. and took 10 weeks to approve the request -- it took 10 weeks to approve the request. there are draft joint guidance on multiple different issues in august of 2020. the staff of this committee did not even respond until a year later. a republican staffer was out over $500 of their own money as this committee failed to process his request. as we in the committee are aware, house administration is a unique committee because so much of what we do is inward facing to our institution.

we are the member service committee. the stronger, healthier, and more efficient institution can serve all americans better. is well past time for accountability and the -- it is well past time for accountability and understanding the negative impacts on the american people. i am grateful for the members who have put time and effort to share their experiences and their feedback. with that, i yield back. >> the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes mike johnson. he represents louisiana's 4th congressional district. you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you.

this is an important one. wish you all a merry christmas. i think every member of congress would agree that the processes put in place for the 2020 election sound doubt into the minds -- sowed doubts into the minds of americans. many governors, secretaries of state, political parties, to discover and other actors would around the constitutional authority of state legislatures to set new parameters for how the election would be administered within their states. the problem with all of that is it was conjured with the express my wood of the constitution itself. -- in expressed intent of the constitution itself. entrusted with the integrity of our unique abduction system. -- election system.

as the supreme court affirmed, that power is placed absolutely and wholly within the legislatures and can never be taken away nor abdicated. all of those changes in 2022 widespread regularity that undermined the american faith in our constitution -- institution. democrats doubled down by reproducing hr one and hr four. hr one would nationalize elections. it is a direct violation of the plain language of the constitution. article one is the state, the primary role in determining the registration and voting practices. hr one would provide no excused absentee voting.

it would automatically give felons the right to vote, require increased disclosure for only certain political donors which likely violates the first amendment and chills free speech. it would empower the irs to launch politically motivated investigations against serving groups -- conservative groups. it would make pandemic election reforms permanent. these are terribly misguided. the most egregious are those which would provide tax funding for political campaigns. the bill creates a 6-1 government match of any contribution valued at $200 or less for presidential campaigns. the federal government will provide up to $1200. i democratic colleagues want to take our tax dollars and use

that money to fund campaigns of candidates across the country regardless of whether or not you want that or would agree with them. the tax dollars of pro-life individuals could be sent to pro-abortion candidates. the list goes on. hr one would send chills down the spine of every american. that is not all democrats are proposing. hr four is another can of worms democrats plan another federal power grab over federal elections under the guise of updating the voting rights act. the vra addresses a pervasive state resistance to removing radically discriminatory barriers that did prevent minorities from exercising their right to vote. the u.s. supreme court decision

recognized an obvious fact, when it examined the voting rights act and it concluded that things that change pneumatically -- changed dramatically. the court reasoned that the law changes on an unconstitutional invasion of state sovereignty. more americans from a death in communities are voting now than ever before -- more americans from minority communities are voting now than ever before. in states like florida and mississippi, we are below the national average and they are lower in democrat run state like new york, california, and delaware. democrats would have you think otherwise. they want to bring preclearance back.

this is a blatant federal power grab. both hr one and hr for our contrary to the founder's intent and if they were fully implemented, they would undermine american faith in our constitution. our main hope is that the people of our country will see these political charades and raise up to make their voices heard. i wish you all a merry christmas and i yield back. >> thank you for your testimony. the chair will recognize congressman larry who shone -- bushane. he serves with me on the house and commerce committee. he is a very important asset to that committee.

i recognized him for five minutes. >> thank you. thank you for allowing me to speak. i will speak on covid-19's safety protocols in place and specifically the office of the attending physician. as a doctor, i do not think doctors should be put in a position to have to answer to political pressures. that seems to be what has happened during rather than set forth medical expertise, this has happened time and time again , the city protocol decisions making processes here in the house of representatives. it is an opportunity for this committee to re-examine the role of the attending physician out of the office of the attending physician and depoliticize the office. removing it from the partisan overreach of the speaker,

regardless of which local party happens to be in the majority. it was established to be the doctor on campus and attend to basic medical needs of the capital -- capitol complex. the office is in need of modernization to reflect that. i introduced hr four that would remove the ability for poetical pressure to be put on the office of the attending physician by establishing a bipartisan framework like that of the architect of the capitol. that has been in place since 1990. that would appoint and oversee the attending physician rather than a lifetime appointment, the office position is a 10 year term with the opportunity to be reappointed and establish proper congressional oversight of the office. since covid-19 is an endemic and

will probably always be with us, i call on this committee to consider hr 4862 and i move the bill through the committee so that we can whip congress with the tools it needs to respond to a pandemic and set proper safety protocols so that members and the american public can be ensured that any guidelines are based on science rather than political pressures. whichever party that may be at the time. with approved vaccines not readily available for almost anyone in our society, who wants one, as well as therapeutic treatments and two years of clinical experience, there is no reason why we cannot have guidelines in place to safely reopen the people's house and get back to doing the american people's business. sadly, politics, are winning

over recent and science. enclosing public health positions must be made on sound science and medical expertise. it is time to end congress' public health decisions and we must modernize the office of the attending physician as we can get back to effectively doing the people's work. thank you for allowing me to testify. merry christmas and happy holidays. >> i am going to recognize congressman john. he represents maryland's 3rd congressional district. he serves on the committee of energy and commerce. he serves on the oversight and reform committee.

he is the chairman of the democracy reform task force. you have approximately five minutes. >> thank you, i appreciate it. to ever having this hearing today for all of the work that you do the strength of our democracy. the stakes for this work could not be higher. the election demonstrated the need for wholesale democracy reform what is what we are pursuing. americans across the country were forced to overcome rampant voter suppression, gerrymandering, and dark money just to exercise their vote and voice in our democracy. election workers faced threats, intimidation, and harassment. there is a lot we need to do. we witnessed firsthand some of our democracy's most fragile moments. today, misinformation and disinformation about our election continues to spread.

efforts continue as well unabated through risk -- two restrict american access to free and fair ballots. we are working to expand the right to vote and increase government transparency and safeguard integrity of our democratic institution. this house rose to the occasion in march, passing hr one or the people act which is now being considered in the senate where it has been reformulated as the freedom to vote act. in august we passed hr four. taken together, these bills will promote clean and fair elections and the dominance of big money in our politics and ensure that the voice of the people is fairly represented in congress. as well as strengthening key protections of the 1965 voting rights act. it was said that the senate work

on this bill while no one is watching. i would argue everyone is watching. the american people are watching with great expectation and hope that we will get this democracy reform over the finish line. it is also said that hr one is a partisan bill. nothing could be further from the truth. if you look at the polling out there, americans of all political stripes, democrats, independents, republicans, support the reforms that are contained in hr one. there is nothing controversial in the bill. what is controversial is it has taken us this long to get it into this package that can lift up our democracy. we have not actually gotten a pass yet. that is what we are trying to do as we speak. the authority from any of the changes proposed, particularly in the voting arena to promote action to the ballot box, it lies squarely under the

elections clause of the constitution. that is where it is grounded. many other things have been said here. i will restrain myself. the american public is very much in support of these changes. if congress is successful in passing these critical pieces of legislation, the committee on house administration, your committee will have a pivotal role to play in guiding fissionable mentation. -- guiding implementation. states like florida, ohio, georgia, and texas, i would encourage the committee to continue to garner the respect of a broad range of forwarders -- voters. i would also encourage the committee to conduct robust oversight to see that all provisions are operating and

evaluate the need for any further democracy reforms. attention must be brought to the grassroots, small democratic infrastructure that our citizens rely upon to ensure that their voices are being heard and respected. we have to make sure that at the local level, in every jurisdiction, those people who administer our elections, the people who have done this because they are patriots and want to see a good election every two years, that we lift them up. our democracy is resilient, i am confident that congress will take meaningful action to restore american faith in it. this committee has been indispensable in catalyzing that effort. it will be an ongoing source of vigilance when it comes to the integrity of our electoral college. i have been honored to stand by your side and fight to protect

our democracy. i look forward to continuing our efforts to redeem the vote and voice of every american. thank you. >> thank you for your testimony and to for your friendship and leadership. i think it would be appropriate for us to discharge the first panel. i thank you all of you for your testimony. happy holidays to all of you and to your families and constituents. we will not proceed to the second panel -- now proceed to the second panel. first up, don't represents new york -- don represents new york's 24th. please take it away for approximately five minutes.

>> thank you for hosting today's hearing. i am disappointed it is not before the full committee, i recognize the importance of the security and integrity of our nation's elections. i appreciate the collaborative efforts on this. we will continue to work to make that effort go forward. we look forward to a new year and a new election and i would love to bring to your attention an issue. i know people focus on it. as a husband and father, i can attest to the fact that violence against members of congress and their families are deeply personal issue for many of us. i also know that there is a deep sense of responsibility that

many of us feel when those threats are directed at our staff. this issue cuts across party lines and those who are marginalized by finger-pointing. we have the responsibility to turn the temperature down. we also have the responsibility to take threats seriously and ensure a full response whenever they occur. i recognize personal spaces of this issue. to take a clear eye and practical view, recognizing it for what it is. it is a challenge to the integrity of the institution. instances of these threats are increasing dramatically. in may, the capitol police reported a 107 percent increase compared to 2020. we have a more complete picture. as of this week, more than 9000

concerning communications and direct threats have been recorded in the past year. 4782 or directed against members of the house. -- were directed against members of the house. direct threats are reported to the capitol police. we are concerned about the security posture and consider these numbers audited limited -- to the limited resources available. given that a significant share of responsibility fourth during this institution falls to this committee, it is imperative we give this issue the attention it deserves. we have already received insights on the challenges faced in the capital --capitol including from the inspector general. it is time for us to act.

when need to have serious conversations about how to expand resources on threat assessments and social reforms and improve ordination between capitol police, the department of justice, and local police in response to threats. i can tell you that this is not where it should be and we need to fix it. is not just the member who should -- it is not just me, it is people on both sides of the aisle. it can be tragic and catastrophic as members of this committee no. -- know. i want to thank you for allowing me the time to speak. i wish you all a happy and safe holiday. >> the gentleman yields back. i think you as well.

this time, the chair is pleased to recognize another member of the committee on energy and commerce, congressman buddy carter. represents georgia's 31st congressional district. he is a distinguished member of the house committee on the budget. i am also informed he served on the select committee on climate change. you are welcome today, it is good to see you again. thank you for joining our delegation when we joined together months ago. you are recognized for five minutes. >> are you with us?

you are recognized for five minutes. he is having technical difficulties. we can move to the next witness. >> and we know what is going on -- do we know what is going on? [indiscernible] >> the chair will be in recess subject to the call of the chair. [indiscernible] >> i apologize.

>> that is alright. i recognize your voice anywhere at any time. you are now recognized for five minutes. >> thank you and ranking member davis for promoting this hearing today. it is extremely important and i appreciate it. i am disappointed that the hearing is not before the full committee on the house administration but i am on her to appear before you today to discuss the importance of protecting the integrity of all federal elections and voter outcomes. the next election will likely bring a change in control of this house and is important that voters know that they can trust results. when republicans take control of the house who will focus on reopening our capital --capitol. i do want to thank you for your

friendship and your service on the energy and commerce committee. that is a very important committee that does great bipartisan work. isil submit it is the most bipartisan committee in congress -- i still admit it is the most bipartisan committee in congress. i thank you we are work on the committee and your friendship. i am a pharmacist. i say that because i practiced pharmacy for over 40 years. as a health care professional, health care externally important to me. i find the current house rules related to mask wearing and to urs are too restrictive. members of congress are elected by the people, it is referred to

as the people's house. our constituents are not able to visit our capital to witness their democracy at work. they are limited to watching hearings and lit a slate of business -- and legislative business. they house under the democratic's party lead has a shut out the public. constituents cannot visit the representatives without going through a ridiculous sign in process. forget about letting constituents visit the house chamber. senate offices can take meetings and give tours. it is understandable that certain precautions are necessary when the pandemic started as we knew little about the virus. so much has evolved. we can know how to mitigate

spread and we have vaccines. at what point is involvement in the democratic process no longer about the virus? he had that point a long time ago. -- we hit that point a long time ago. the virus is here to stay. we have vaccines for every american. this time we open our capitol backup and let americans visit their capitol and representatives without restrictions. the mask mandate is long past necessary. the district should remove the mask mandate. why is it i can walk into any grocery store, go to church, are out in d.c. without a mask? when we enter the capitol, we are all required to wear a mask. these are not safety precautions, they are requirements. it is time we let our

constituents participate in in their democracy. -- in their democracy. covid mitigation methods, the rules in place are based on feelings, not facts. it is time to return to the pre-pandemic normal in our capitol. again, i want to thank you for allowing us to come before this committee today. this is very important that we get our capitol open again. that we allow the people to see the people's house in action. thank you for your friendship, service, and i yield back. >> we thank you as well. i am told that we have two, possibly three witnesses to go. neither of whom may be on the call at this moment.

let me call their names. is congresswoman with us? are congressman taylor? -- or congressman taylor? >> mr. chair? i am here. >> good morning congresswoman, claudia, represents new york's 22nd district. good morning. you have approximately five minutes. >> thank you, i apologize for the tech difficulties. thank you, to all of the distinguished members of the committee. the integrity of our elections is essential to the functioning

of our republic. we have fought, marched, and died, to pick our sacred right. it is important that americans know that only legal votes are counted. the essential trust has been tarnished. my progressive friends questioned the legitimacy of the election for no other reason than they dislike the individual elected. that is the opposite of democracy. then there is the lack of transparency in politically motivated policies that undermine the trust in the pandemic election. we saw shortcomings firsthand every day. this last year, my congressional race took almost three months to decide. ac rule changes and incompetence led to americans without

representation in congress for over a month. this is not the experiences that install faith in our system. they undermine the percentage of system -- representative system of government. i co-chair the election integrity caucus which indicates members on the issues -- educates members on the issues to ensure that we have secure elections. we have proven examples to pull from as many states have checked their electoral systems. it has updating voter rolls, banning ballot harvesting harvesting and requiring all those to be counted on election night. these critical measures face resistance from political forces across the country including here in this body and on this committee. they seek to centralize electoral administration and underline the basic security of our elections. the first effort was the passage of hr one which aimed to

complete up-end our generalized election system. centralizing it here in washington dc, this bill would undermine the authority of the state to make their own election laws as well as empower partisan overturn to reform. this misguided legislation would ban voter id, eliminating an essential safeguard to secure voting integrity. it would eliminate the bipartisan instruction -- structure of the election commission. it would allow it to take parts and enforcement actions. it would legalize no-fault absentee ballots and force states to accept absentee ballots up to 10 days after the election. these changes would create voter fraud and enabling bad faith

bungle actors to create the vote that they need -- bad faith actors create the vote that they need. even if you do not agree with this criticism, you must acknowledge that making voters wait weeks will hamper voter representation. we have had democrats staying -- saying this is the wrong move. house democratic leadership is pushing this in hr four. it would provide them with the power to change voting id, registration requirements, and redistricting every state. this bill would create a new space and requirement that would apply to all clinical jurisdictions whether or not they were included in the new

strict 10 year coverage formula. no state or local government would be safe or free to adjust their election system. even if they are acting in good faith to meet the needs of the system. instead of these unwise bills, congress should focus on reforms that respect the right of the states' while checking election integrity. mark zuckerberg board over $350 million into the left-leaning nonprofit. it was funneled to the boards of elections. without oversight. this money went to democratic districts, driving up turnout in these areas while ignoring more conservative and rural areas. my response to that has been hr 4290. this will prohibit tax-exempt

organizations from providing direct funding to official election organizations. the right to vote is sacred, our elections should be in the hands of the macon citizens, not the highest bidder -- american citizens, not the highest bidder. can i continue? another topic i want to talk about is these temporary election rules that many states are putting out in response to the pandemic. one that scares me is the voters' vote stating that they did not want no ask absentee ballots. our current governor is not to put in legislation to overturn the will of the voters. saying that we should not have no ask absentee ballot. to turn to turn the entire state into a ballot state -- she is

trying to turn the entire state into a ballot state. i hope this committee will consider these remarks and make sure that we do not pass either of these bills. come up with common sense voting reforms. thank you and i yield back. >> thank you for your testimony. we wish you and your family and your constituents a very merry christmas. we are moving right along. congressman taylor has joined us. he represents texas, the 3rd congressional district. good morning. you have approximately five minutes. >> thank you. point to make sure that you guys can hear me -- i want to make sure that you guys can hear me? i appreciate this topic. prior to being elected i was an election judge.

i have experience in the administration at the polling station level of elections. i wanted to first say election fraud is deeply upsetting. i have seen it on a personal level. the first time i was a poll watcher, i watched a woman come in to vote on election day and she was informed she had already voted. she said that is impossible, i have been out of the country, there is no way that i have voted. somehow, either someone stole her identity, or a clerk checked the wrong box. either way, the look on her face, that her voice had been taken from her, it is something i have always remembered. it is deeply upsetting and real. it is instructive that we need to be mindful to make sure that the procedures we put in place when it comes to elections are ones that are thoughtful and reduce the number of times that

people find themselves disenfranchised. one of the key things i would say is that election law should be done by the state. that is in the constitution of the united states. i worked on election law and became familiar with a lot of the difficulties of passing them. they are very complicated, extremely difficult to do. my first bill actually require not only a change in the entire election schedule but also i needed a constitutional amendment to make it work. when i asked one of the people on hr one, if this bill would support state constitutions, what will states have to change in their laws? there are requirements about designations about different functions.

the answer was we have not looked at that. that was shocking to me. if you are going to have a successful election bill, you have to sit down and think about it. even when you do think about it, inadvertently, there are going to be errors. those errors require cleanup bills. something i do not have a lot of confidence is the ability to pass cleanup bills. i have seen the difficulty in this place of passing even the simplest of bills. it is my prediction that if hr one was to go into law, most states would be operating under court orders because they do not have a chance to clean up their state constitutions or statutes in order to comply with the various requirements. as far as i can tell, they have not been run through the 50 different estates to say what are you going to have to do to clean things up -- 50 different

states to say what do you have to do to clean things up? i would get frequent calls on election fraud. in the majority of the election fraud i saw in the state of texas, it had to do with mail in ballots. that is where you have problems. i watched criminal enterprises falsify requests for mail in ballots, fax those in. it would literally steal the ballots out of the mailbox. these thieves would typically target elderly minority individuals because they thought they were less likely to put dissipate -- to participate in elections. they decided who would sit on city councils and school boards here in texas. it is deeply upsetting when you see that.

it speaks to the importance of us, as we talk to our state partners. that is where election law should be. that they make sure we have procedures in place that are going to be effective at stopping this kind of fraud because it is real. finally, confidence. there is a crisis of confidence in our elections in this country today. i hear about it every day in the third district. people are worried that their vote does not count because they think our elections are not run right. my colleagues on the others, audits are good. going through in figuring out what went right and what went wrong and making it better is something we should all be -- announcer: we are going to leave this program but you can watch it any on our website, c-span.org. we take you live to a virtual