Press Release: Vela Announces Passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021
Press Release
Today, Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34) announced the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021, a historic piece of legislation with ambitious anti-corruption and clean election reform provisions. The legislation was cosponsored by all House Democrats, and a previous version of the bill passed the House of Representatives in the 116th Congress.
"The American people deserve to feel confident in our democracy and know our elections are clean and fair," said Congressman Filemon Vela. "The obstacles some Americans had to overcome to vote in the 2020 elections were nothing short of voter suppression and completely unacceptable. In Congress, it is one of my top priorities to protect citizens' right to vote and support policies that increase government transparency. Supporting this legislation was an easy choice. I hope to see my colleagues in the Senate join our efforts so we can enact these necessary reforms to ensure our democracy is fair and transparent."
H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021:
Promotes Clean and Fair Elections
Expands access to the ballot box by eliminating barriers to voting, including cumbersome voter registration systems, disenfranchisement and limited voting hours
Creates automatic voter registration across the country, ensures that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full voting rights restored
Expands early voting and enhance absentee voting, simplifies voting by mail, reduces long lines and wait times for voters and modernizes America's voting system
development of a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions
Ends the Dominance of Big Money in Politics
Upgrades online political ad disclosure and requires all organizations involved in political activity to disclose their large donors
Tightens rules on super PACs and restructures the Federal Election Commission to enhance enforcement mechanisms
Ensures Public Servants Work for the Public Interest
Imposes greater ethics enforcement by overhauling the Office of Government Ethics
Closes loopholes for lobbyists and foreign agents, ensuring watchdogs have sufficient resources to enforce the law
Creates a code of ethics for the Supreme Court
To learn more about H.R. 1 please visit https://hr1-cha.house.gov.
To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.
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