Democrats Kill McConnell Amendment to Stop Partisan Takeover of the FEC
‘This legislation would convert the FEC into an odd-numbered body where President Biden would pick the tiebreaking vote. The exact outcome that was originally feared — the regulator of our democracy becoming controlled by one side — would be hard-wired into the rules by design. This is so plainly unfair, so plainly an attempt to stack the deck, that I’m not sure what more even needs to be said.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At today’s Senate Rules Committee Markup of S1, commonly referred to as the ‘Democrat Politician Protection Act,’ Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered an amendment to cap the FEC commissioners’ tenures at 12 years:
“I want to first discuss the Federal Election Commission.
“The FEC was created in 1974 in the wake of Watergate. The nation was keenly aware that enforcing the laws surrounding politics and campaigns was a sensitive job that no one political party, no one president, could be allowed to commandeer.
“There was broad, bipartisan understanding that this new panel had to be beyond reproach.
“That’s why it was built with an even-numbered membership, limits on commissioners’ party affiliation, and requirements for supermajority support. Legitimacy would have to come from impartiality.
“All the way back in 1976, the Democratic Senator Alan Cranston from California specifically warned that, quote, ‘The FEC has such a potential for abuse in our democratic society that the President should not be given power over the Commission.’
“Much more recently, one of the FEC’s most liberal commissioners reaffirmed that the bipartisan structure was established, quote, ‘to ensure that there was not going to be a partisan effort to use investigations against one political party or another.’
“And yet, in this sweeping legislation which my Democratic friends keep characterizing as a voting rights bill, they go out of their way to make the FEC partisan. Nothing to do with ballot access; everything to do with raw power.
“This legislation would convert the FEC into an odd-numbered body where President Biden would pick the tiebreaking vote.
“The exact outcome that was originally feared — the regulator of our democracy becoming controlled by one side — would be hard-wired into the rules by design.
“This is so plainly unfair, so plainly an attempt to stack the deck, that I’m not sure what more even needs to be said.
“Anyone who wants to talk about ‘reforming’ the FEC should start with making the existing term limits meaningful.
“Right now, two Democrat-appointed commissioners have stayed long past the length of their terms.
“One has been ‘held over’ since her term expired fourteen years ago.
“This amendment would eliminate the bizarre and inexcusable attempt to make the FEC a partisan body; and instead, actually cap the FEC commissioners’ tenures at 12 years.
“I encourage my colleagues to support McConnell Amendment 1.”
Related Issues: Senate Democrats
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