Democratic Women's Caucus Celebrates Inclusion of Two Caucus Amendments in House-Passed H.R. 1

Statement

Today, Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC) Co-Chairs Congresswomen Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Deb Haaland (NM-01), celebrated the inclusion of two of the Caucus's amendments in H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021. H.R. 1, which aims to fight big money in politics, expand voting rights, end extreme partisan gerrymandering, and hold elected officials accountable, passed in the House by a vote of 220 to 210 yesterday.

"The For the People Act of 2021 extends the new dawn for democracy that congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration continue to deliver on. That includes two Democratic Women's Caucus amendments to address the needs of women, who disproportionately face online harassment when running for office, and domestic and sexual violence survivors, who face safety issues when registering to vote," the Members said. "Our democracy is stronger and more equitable when women have a seat at the table, whether it be by exercising their civic duty or serving in office themselves. We urge our colleagues in the Senate to immediately take up and pass H.R. 1 in order to return our government, and country, to one that answers to the voters, not big ticket donors, and that respects and recognizes the dignity and equality of all Americans."

Included in H.R. 1 are the DWC's Amendments #102 and #161.

Speier Amendment #102 seeks to provide survivors of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, trafficking, and dating violence with greater security and peace of mind regarding their personal information when they register to vote. Many survivors are horrified to learn after they have registered to vote that their personal information, including their address, can be easily tracked down and revealed on online voter registration databases. Though some states offer privacy programs that allow the use of a P.O. Box for their public listing, this option is not available in every state and the criteria for eligibility can vary vastly. This has created a chilling effect, with some survivors choosing not to register to vote at all -- depriving them of their voice and their rights as American citizens. This amendment will address this violation of voter rights by requiring that voters who are about to be registered are notified about what information will be publicly available and what privacy programs are available in their state. It would also require all states to establish voter privacy programs so that survivors can keep personally identifiable information, such as their address, confidential.

Escobar Amendment #161 exempts cybersecurity assistance, including assistance in responding to threats or harassment online, from limits on coordinated political party expenditures. Research shows that women public figures are disproportionately impacted by harassment online. A recent study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue examined online abuse targeted at congressional candidates and found that during the 2020 election cycle, women candidates on average received 12% more abusive comments on Facebook than their male counterparts, with women Democratic candidates receiving 10 times more abusive comments than their male Democratic counterparts. Abusive messages on Twitter made up more than 15% of the messages women candidates received, compared to 5-10% for male candidates, and candidates who are women of color were even more likely to experience this abuse online. Too often, online abuse is also followed up by in person threats and harassment. This amendment will help ensure that campaigns have adequate resources to combat hacks and harassment online and that candidates are not forced to choose between serving their communities and their own safety and the safety of their families.

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