EXCLUSIVE — A historically bipartisan and relatively unknown House committee is being thrust into the spotlight over accusations of “undercutting voting rights” as Republicans seek to use their power to advance a slate of new election laws.
A new report released this week by Accountable.US, a self-described nonpartisan watchdog that has been characterized as “center-left” by outside groups, targets the House Administration Committee with accusations that Republicans are using their majority to alter election laws ahead of the 2024 contest to boost former President Donald Trump.
The group argues the committee has been filled with far-right Republicans intent on “undermining Capitol security, constraining the freedom to vote, and propping up election conspiracies.”
The 39-page report, first obtained by the Washington Examiner, specifically targets the Republican lawmakers on the committee led by Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI), citing their voting records against certifying the 2020 election and opposing investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“With MAGA Republicans at the helm, the House Administration Committee has made undercutting voting rights and peddling false election conspiracies its core mission,” Accountable.US president Caroline Ciccone told the Washington Examiner. “Beyond being made up of election deniers and far-right extremists, the committee is now pushing dangerous legislation to gut our electoral system and undermine American democracy. These MAGA Republicans must be called out for their anti-democracy efforts and radical extremism.”
Steil pushed back on that characterization to defend support for the American Confidence in Elections Act, which would recommend election policy changes nationwide and overhaul how elections are administered in Washington, D.C. The proposal includes 50 stand-alone bills filled with recommendations regarding voter rolls and campaign finance regulations.
“The ACE Act is the most comprehensive, common-sense election integrity legislation to be considered in over 20 years,” Steil told the Washington Examiner. “This legislation includes reforms like photo voter ID, legislation to end a loophole that allows foreign nationals to influence our elections, and the bill ensures every eligible American can cast a ballot — not noncitizens. As chairman, I’m focused on making it easy to vote and hard to cheat. The ACE Act is critical to our election integrity fight.”
Other targets of the report include Reps. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Mike Carey (R-OH), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), and Laurel Lee (R-FL), all of whom sit on the committee.
The attack is the first release of a larger campaign from Accountable.US to challenge and “monitor” the Republicans on this committee over the next several months leading up to the 2024 election, according to the group.
Accountable.US’s report lists the committee members who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s victory against Trump and have supported amicus briefs in certain states to challenge the results of the 2020 election. It also dings all Republican members on the committee for voting to advance the ACE Act despite voting down an amendment that would acknowledge Biden as “the rightful winner of the 2020 election.”
Although the House Administration Committee has long flown under the radar, the panel is one of the more powerful in the lower chamber as it holds jurisdiction over congressional and electoral operations. The committee has also become increasingly contentious as Republicans turn their focus to implementing stricter election laws ahead of the November contest.
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Democrats on the House Administration Committee have long pushed back against the ACE Act, claiming the legislation would only be used to “appease extremist election deniers.”
“It would restrict the fundamental right to vote, especially for voters of color, jeopardize the security of our elections, burden local election administrators, and bring more dark money into our electoral process—opening the door to corruption,” Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-NY) said when the bill was introduced last summer. “It’s anti-American. While this Republican bill would undermine the voice of everyday Americans and instead empower special interests, House Democrats are working to protect and strengthen our democracy.”
