Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) released the following statement after the passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, in the House of Representatives. The historic reform package aims to reduce the role of money in politics, strengthen election security, and return electoral power back to the American people.
“As Americans, our most basic and fundamental right is the right to vote. Elections must be free and clear of systemic discriminatory barriers, and Americans must be assured their votes will be counted as cast,” said Congresswoman Hayes.
“The importance of these reforms has never been clearer. Years of election disinformation have gone so far as to inflame violence at the United States Capitol. COVID-19 tested the accessibility of our elections and demanded the development of new, innovative ways to allow safe access to the ballot box. Pulling crucial lessons from the past year, H.R. 1 will provide much needed reforms to voter registration, election security, and money in politics. H.R. 1 will strengthen access to our democratic processes and assure the American people they can have faith in the integrity of our democratic institutions.”
Specifically, the For the People Act thwarts voter suppression and reaffirms our commitment to the provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The bill also requires states to automatically register voters, promote online voter registration, and end partisan gerrymandering so that more people are encouraged to participate in our democracy.
This transformative set of government reforms also seeks to combat the dominance of dark money in American politics and put the American people – not special interests – first. With ethics and accountability in government as a top priority, H.R. 1 is a step to ensuring that public officials work for the public interest.
Bill text can be found here.
A section by section of H.R. 1 can be found here.
A list of endorsing organizations can be found here.
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Rep. Jahana Hayes has been a public school teacher in Connecticut for more than 15 years and was recognized in 2016 as the National Teacher of the Year.
Rep. Hayes sits on the Committees on Education & Labor and Agriculture and proudly represents Connecticut’s 5th District.