Wicker Fights Federal Takeover of Elections

May 11, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today will introduce up to nine amendments to S.1, the “For the People Act,” at a hearing of the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Republicans are expected to introduce dozens of amendments to strip S.1 of a number of problematic provisions that would reduce election security or impose unnecessary restrictions on state elections.

“The left has branded this legislation as a way to make voting easier, when in reality this federal takeover of our elections would only make cheating easier,” Wicker said. “My amendments would protect our elections from additional fraud so that all Americans can have faith in their election system.”

Wicker will propose amendments at today’s markup to address major concerns, including:

  • Voter Identification: This amendment would strike the current provision that allows the use of sworn written statements to meet identification requirements for voting. 
  • Donor Privacy: This amendment would strike political disclosure rules for issue-based non-profits.
  • Ballot Harvesting and Voting by Mail: This amendment would strike the provision requiring no-excuse voting by mail and ballot harvesting.
  • Private Right of Action: This amendment would strike a provision that creates a private right of action under the Help America Vote Act.
  • Interstate Cross-Check: This amendment would strike the provision changing the automatic removal of registrants from voter rolls on the basis of interstate cross-checks from 90 days to 6 months.
  • Voter Caging: This amendment would strike the provision prohibiting some methods of updating voter rolls.
  • Public Financing: This amendment would establish a sense of the Senate that public financing funds for political candidates should be reallocated to Alzheimer’s research.
  • FEC Membership: This amendment would strike the provision that would create a partisan Federal Election Commission by reducing the current six member bipartisan commission to five members.
  • Voter Turnout and Registration: This amendment would establish a sense of the Senate that since preclearance ended, and since Mississippi has enacted responsible election reforms, voter registration and participation has increased in the State.

At a Senate Rules Committee hearing in March, Wicker expressed his concerns about this legislation. Wicker also authored a column explaining his opposition to the legislation.