The publication is reproduced in full below:
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2021
______
speech of
HON. BILL POSEY
of florida
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Mr. POSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to H.R. 1 and my great disappointment that the Majority refused to allow my commonsense amendments to be offered to this bill. This bill was written behind closed doors and though Members of Congress offered over 180 amendments to improve this bill only 56 were allowed to be offered on the House floor. That is a travesty for Congress and the American people who want and deserve honest and transparent elections. This bill bans voter identification laws and mandates States implement mail-in voting both of which will lead to massive election fraud. Even European countries have rejected these failed policies due to fraud.
While serving in the Florida Senate I was tasked with reforming Florida's election laws following the 2000 election and chaos that ensued. Having tackled election reform in the aftermath of an uncertain election, I know firsthand how important it is to restore confidence and eliminate existing grey areas that may lead to fraud or raise questions about fairness.
Events surrounding the 2020 election raised questions from my constituents about the operation and certification of voting machines used throughout our state and the nation. Chief among those concerns was whether our voting machines are connected to the internet and vulnerable to manipulation through hacking. To answer these and other questions I contacted the U.S. Election Assistance Commission which certifies voting hardware and software for use in our elections.
In her letter to me, the Inspector General of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission addressed this topic stating that the ``EAC believes Michigan may use modem transmission features in at least some of its Dominion voting systems.'' This is in direct conflict with assertions by the maker of the Dominion Voting System who stated, ``. .
. Voting systems are by design meant to be used as closed systems that are not networked meaning they are not connected to the Internet.''
To end the confusion on this issue and restore confidence in our system, I filed an amendment that would prohibit voting systems from being connected to the Internet; specifically, stating that no system or device upon which ballots are programmed or votes are cast or tabulated shall be connected to the Internet at any time. That would ensure the integrity of voting machines. Unfortunately, that amendment was not allowed to be debated and voted on.
My second amendment would ensure that election machines are fully auditable--no longer would election officials and election equipment providers deny full audits of elections due to proprietary software or hardware. The American people have a right to a full audit of any election to ensure the full integrity of elections. There is no good reason to oppose this amendment but, again, it was not allowed to be debated and voted on.
And, my third amendment would have prohibited the use of voting systems produced by a foreign entity. It would also require all components of the voting systems be manufactured and maintained in the United States. Why should the votes of the American people be subject to counting using foreign equipment that cannot be audited and that may be connected to the Internet? My amendments would ban all three of these things.
By denying elected Members of Congress a vote on these amendments, Speaker Pelosi decided against providing full transparency and accountability in our federal elections. This partisan bill should be rejected.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 40
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up