Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 1, the Democrat Politician Protection Act. “The Democrats are putting the government in control of our lives one piece of legislation at a time. After introducing a government takeover of our entire economy with their ninety-trillion dollar Green New Deal, Democrats now want to seize control of our elections from the states and infringe on our free speech,” said Arrington. “The Constitution gives states - NOT the federal government – the responsibility to set the times, places, and manner of elections. As if it couldn’t get any worse, H.R. 1 subsidizes politicians, weaponizes the Federal Election Commission, and forces states to give felons the right to vote. “Watching Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats lead ‘The People’s House’ reminds me of what Will Rogers once said: ‘There are some people running governments who shouldn't be allowed to play with matches.’”     Background: Included in H.R. 1 are provisions that:

• Forces taxpayers to fund congressional campaigns by creating a 6:1 taxpayer-funded match of small dollar donations, meaning for every $200 donated, the federal government will match $1,200.
• Suppresses free speech by increasing compliance costs to associations and civic groups that express views on issues and politicians.
• Politicizes the FEC by changing the neutral, evenly divided six member body into a 5 member panel chaired by an appointee of the President.
• Forces states to restore felon voting rights and automatically register 16 and 17 year- olds, potentially allowing them to cast ballots in federal elections before they turn 18.
• Increases vulnerability for voter fraud by forcing states to accept sworn statements as proof of identity instead of photo identification.

### Congressman Jodey Arrington is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving the Nineteenth Congressional District of Texas. He serves as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee