In a Wednesday op-ed for The Daily Signal, former vice president Mike Pence took aim at H.R.1, first introduced in 2019, claiming that the House Democrats’ proposal is a “constitutional power grab” by “leftists.”
The bill includes provisions to expand early and absentee voting, to allow voters to register online on Election Day and to restore voting rights for felons. Republicans have argued that the bill would lead to increased voter fraud since it would allow voters to register on Election Day.
The bill would also end partisan gerrymandering, by requiring independent commissions to redraw congressional districts. In addition, the bill aims to shine a “light on dark money in politics” by mandating that all organizations in political activity identify their large donors. The bill also promises to crack down on the spread of voter disinformation and voter intimidation.
In his blog, Pence argued that the “tragic events” at the Capitol on January 6 have “deprived the American people of a substantive discussion in Congress about election integrity in America.”
“Congress will vote this week on HR 1, the so-called For the People Act, a massive 800-page election overhaul bill that would increase opportunities for election fraud, trample the First Amendment, further erode confidence in our elections, and forever dilute the votes of legally qualified eligible voters,” Pence wrote, while also reiterating that the 2020 presidential election was “marked by significant voting irregularities.”
Pence’s reference to election fraud comes after former US Attorney General William Barr revealed that federal authorities did not uncover any widespread voter fraud that may have impacted the outcome of the 2020 election, in December 2020. In addition, lawsuits questioning the election results have been rejected by courts across the US.
In his column, Pence also stated that the bill could “deter” election fraud.
"HR 1 mandates the most questionable and abuse-prone election rules nationwide, while banning common sense measures to detect, deter, and prosecute election fraud," Pence noted.
"Leftists not only want you powerless at the ballot box, they want to silence and censor anyone who would dare to criticize their unconstitutional power grab," he added.