House Republicans have introduced a bill to strengthen election integrity on a federal level — with the bill’s co-sponsors arguing that it will make elections much more secure.
On Monday, the House Administration Committee met in Atlanta, Georgia, to introduce the legislation — which they have titled the American Confidence in Elections Act, or the “ACE Act.”
Proud to join my @HouseAdmin colleagues in Atlanta, GA today to introduce the #ACEAct.
This legislation takes significant steps to increase voter confidence and will implement practical reforms encouraging fair and secure elections. pic.twitter.com/wexGptsSVJ
— Congresswoman Laurel Lee (@RepLaurelLee) July 10, 2023
The Republican lawmakers chose Atlanta as the location to announce their bill as a nod to a voting law passed in Georgia in 2021 that codified voter ID laws for mail-in ballots, a limitation on ballot drop boxes and a prohibition on outside groups or individuals providing water or food to voters waiting in line — citing attempts to influence voters.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Georgia in response to the new law, while left-leaning organizations demanded boycotts of the state — prompting the MLB to move the scheduled All-Star game out of Atlanta.
In arguing against the law, the left claimed that it would make it more difficult to vote — and pushed the racist narrative that it would disenfranchise people of color, who the left claim are more likely to be incapable of obtaining IDs to vote.
The bill’s sponsor, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), condemned these arguments on Monday — stating that they were false narratives, as voter turnout actually increased between the 2020 election and the 2022 election after the law went into effect.
Steil posted a video about the legislation on Twitter.
I’m in Atlanta, GA introducing the most conservative election integrity bill in over 20 years. Watch our hearing on the ACE Act starting soon! https://t.co/irDBIJQum7 pic.twitter.com/1Bblx7Vw8A
— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) July 10, 2023
The ACE Act would make federal changes to assist states with election administration — which includes a mandate that the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration provide states with access to voter data free of charge. This mandate would make it much easier for states to remove deceased people and non-citizens from their voter rolls.
The legislation also includes a reform of the REAL ID Act that would mandate citizenship status to be printed on identification documents, allowing citizenship to be checked at the time of voting.
Democrats have already begun their attacks on the ACE Act, with Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) condemning House Republicans for using Georgia’s 2021 voting law as a model — claiming that the law was only enacted in response to former President Donald Trump losing Georgia in the 2020 election.
“The Big Lie origins of SB 202 mirror the Big Lie origins of the majority’s ACE Act. And the damaging effects of SB 202 on Georgia voters will be imposed upon all Americans if the ACE Act is enacted nationally,” Morelle claimed.
The ACE Act is unlikely to be enacted anytime soon, as Democrats in the Senate will strike it down. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Monday that his party will not allow the election integrity legislation to become law.
