Conservatives Oppose H.R. 1, the Ultimate Fantasy of the Left

Over 100 leaders of the Conservative Movement have come together to urge conservatives

to call the toll-free Capitol Switchboard (1-866-220-0044), tell Republican Representatives and Senators you are speaking on behalf of the millions of Americans who cherish and rely on the right to support causes they believe in without fear of harassment and intimidation, tell them you demand they oppose H.R. 1 and S. 1, the deceptively named “For the People Act.”

February 10, 2021

Washington, DC

Conservatives are united in opposing H.R. 1, the attempt by House and Senate Democrats to fundamentally undermine the American electoral system. We further oppose any effort to modify budget reconciliation rules to pass this legislation.

While they cloak the bill in terms of “restoring democracy” and “preventing corruption,” the legislation has one goal: to protect incumbents, at the expense of the First Amendment, federalism, and individual voter integrity.

H.R. 1 undermines the First Amendment. H.R. 1 undoes key Supreme Court cases that protect elections as fundamental to free speech. It would allow the Federal Election Commission to track and catalogue more of what Americans are saying, register even very small political donations, and make public those who donate to different charitable and nonprofit organizations. The legislation will subject private citizens to intimidation and harassment for their private and political beliefs, far broader than what was done in the IRS targeting scandal in 2013.

H.R. 1 yanks election authority away from the states. H.R. 1 reasserts the ability of the federal government to micromanage state elections through a process known as “preclearance.” Preclearance, which was previously overturned by the Supreme Court, requires states to get permission from the federal government for changes as small as modifying the hours of an election office, or moving a voting location from a school gym to the library. Critically, none of these practices would undo any fraud or corruption. Rather, these same practices result in incorrect registrations and inaccurate voter data, while failing to address actual corrupt practices like ballot harvesting. Moreover, they are all designed to eliminate the federalism that keeps elections transparent, local, and fair.

H.R. 1 attacks individual voter integrity. America was founded on the principle of “one person, one vote.” H.R. 1 turns this on its head by weaponizing every aspect of the political regulatory system. The Federal Election Commission, which is currently a neutral body, would be given a 3-2 makeup, guaranteeing a partisan outcome with little accountability toward the actual votes which are cast. H.R. 1 also includes a 600 percent government match for political donations, and authorizes even more public dollars to campaigns. The bill also wants to make Election Day a new paid holiday for government workers, with additional paid vacation given to bureaucrats to oversee the polls. All of these changes are designed to distance the outcome of the election from those casting their votes.

H.R. 1 would also implement the following changes:

Forces states to implement mandatory voter registration, removing civic participation as a voluntary choice, and increasing chances for error.

Mandates that states allow all felons to vote.

Forces states to extend periods of early voting, which has shown to have no effect on turnout.

Mandates same-day voter registration, which encourages voter fraud.

Limits the ability of states to cooperate to see who is registered in multiple states at the same time.

Prohibits election observers from cooperating with election officials to file formal challenges to suspicious voter registrations.

Criminalizes protected political speech by making it a crime to “discourage” someone from voting.

Bars states from making their own laws about voting by mail.

Prohibits chief election officials in each state from participating in federal election campaigns.

Mandates free mailing of absentee ballots.

Mandates that states adopt new redistricting commissions.

H.R. 1 would cause sweeping and irrevocable damage to the free speech, privacy, and integrity that are central components to free and fair elections in America. We oppose H.R. 1 in the strongest terms and urge all conservatives to do likewise.

The Honorable Edwin Meese III

Attorney General

President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988)

Alfred S. Regnery

Chairman, Conservative Action Project

President, Republic Book Publishers

Tom McClusky

President

March for Life Action

L. Brent Bozell, III

Founder and President

Media Research Center

The Honorable Russ Vought

Director, Office of Management and Budget (2020-2021)

Myron Ebell

Director, Center for Energy and Environment, Competitive Enterprise Institute

The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell

President

The Leadership Institute

William L. Walton

President

Council for National Policy

Penny Y. Nance

President & CEO

Concerned Women for America

Mary Vought

Executive Director

Senate Conservatives Fund

Scott T. Parkinson

VP for Government Affairs

Club for Growth

Ed Corrigan

Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project and President & CEO, Conservative Partnership Institute

The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel

U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985)

U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989)

Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.)

Executive Vice President

Family Research Council

The Honorable Tony Perkins

President

Family Research Council

Lisa B. Nelson

The Honorable Colin A. Hanna

President

Let Freedom Ring, Inc.

David N. Bossie

President

Citizens United

The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli

Visiting Fellow

Heritage Foundation

The Honorable Donald J. Devine

Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (1981-1985)

Carrie Lukas

President

Independent Women's Forum

Joseph R. Gregory

CEO

Gregory Mgt. Co.

Frank J. Gaffney

Executive Chairman

Center for Security Policy

Mike Davis

Founder and President

Article III Project (A3P)

The Honorable Tom DeLay

Former Majority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives

J. Christian Adams

President

Public Interest Legal Foundation

E.W. Jackson

President

STAND Foundation, Inc.

Annette Thompson Meeks

CEO

Freedom Foundation of Minnesota

Craig Shirley

Reagan Biographer

Presidential Historian

Marc Little

Chair

Center for Urban Renewal and Education

Tim Macy

Chairman

Gun Owners of America

Rod D. Martin

Founder and CEO

The Martin Organization, Inc.

Christina Murphy Lusk

President

The Martin Foundation

Guillermo J. Aragon

Chief Financial Officer

Martin Imaging, Inc.

Haley E. Martin

Past President

The Martin Foundation

Steve Berger

Founder

Grace Chapel

Kevin Freeman

Founder

NSIC Institute

Martha Boneta

President

VAF

Seton Motley

President

Less Government

Benjamin R. Case

Michael J. Horowitz

CEO

21st Initiatives

Peggy Dau

Representative

IranAliveMinistries

Rob Chambers

Vice President

AFA Action

Jay Mount

President

MDS Communications Corporation

Tom DeWeese

President

American Policy Center

Richard Norman

Founder and President

The Richard Norman Company

Kielle C. Horton

President

The Lindsey Foundation

Eunie Smith

President Emeritus

Eagle Forum

Leigh Bortins

Owner

Classical Conversations

Willes K. Lee

President, National Federation of Republican Assemblies

Kathleen Patten

President & CEO

American Target Advertising, Inc.

Amapola Hansberger

President and Founder

Legal Immigrants for America

Sean Noble

President

American Encore

Elaine Donnelly

President

Center for Military Readiness

Saulius “Saul” Anuzis

President

60 Plus Association

Ron Pearson

Executive Director

Conservative Victory Fund

Donald L. Woodsmall

Principal

Arromid, LLC

Andresen Blom

President

Hawaiian Values

C. Preston Noell III

President

Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.

Nancy Schulze

Founder, President

RCW Speakers

Adam Kincaid

President & Executive Director

Fair Lines America

The Honorable Mike Hill

Former Member

Florida State House

Tim Wildmon

President

American Family Association

Robert D. Thompson

Former Administrator

The Weyrich Lunch (1999-2016)

Gerard Kassar

State Chairman

NYS Conservative Party

Wade Kirby

Director of Development

GSWA

Mark Mix

President

National Right to Work Committee

Khadine Ritter

Chairman

Eagle Forum of Ohio

Curt Levey

President

Committee for Justice

Chad Connelly

President

Faith Wins

The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop

White House Advisor

President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985)

The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell

Chairman

Constitutional Congress, Inc.

Jenny Beth Martin

Chairman

Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund

Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq.

Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. & President and CEO, First Liberty Institute

The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.

Chief Domestic Advisor

President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988)

The Honorable Matt Schlapp

Chairman

American Conservative Union (ACU)

Christopher Malagisi

Executive Director of Outreach

Hillsdale College

The Honorable David McIntosh

President

Club for Growth

The Honorable Jim DeMint

Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute

Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013)

Tim Chapman

Executive Director

Stand for America

The Honorable Bob McEwen

U.S. House of Representatives

Former Member, Ohio

Wesley Denton

Chief Operating Officer

Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)

Rachel Bovard

Senior Director of Policy

Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI)

Thomas Fitton

President

Judicial Watch, Inc.

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.

Founder & President

Dr. James Dobson Family Institute

Grover Norquist

President

Americans for Tax Reform

The Honorable James C. Miller III

Budget Director for President Reagan, 1985-1988

Michael Farris

CEO

Alliance Defending Freedom

Heather R. Higgins

CEO

Independent Women's Voice

John McLaughlin

CEO

McLaughlin & Associates

The Honorable Gary L. Bauer

President

American Values

Justin Danhof, Esq.

General Counsel, National Center for Public Policy Research

Kristan Hawkins

President

Students for Life Action

Lewis K. Uhler

Founder and President

National Tax Limitation Committee

Terry Schilling

President

American Principles Project

Rev. Frank Pavone

National Director

Priests for Life

Richard Manning

President

Americans for Limited Government

Anne Schlafly Cori

Chairman

Eagle Forum

Kay R. Daly

President

Coalition for a Fair Judiciary

Sherri R. Martin

Executive Vice President

The Martin Organization, Inc.

Lourdes Cosio

Campaign for the American Future

Shawn A. Mitchell

Former National Chaplain, National Federation of Republican Assemblies

Rod Vandenbos

CEO

R2

Lee Beaman

CEO

Beaman Ventures

Mario Navarro da Costa

Director, Washington Bureau

Tradition, Family, Property

Judson Phillips

Founder

Tea Party Nation

Floyd Brown

President

Western Center for Journalism

Debbie Georgatos

Host, America, Can We Talk?

CWT Publications, LLC

Michelle Easton

President, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women

G. Eric Georgatos

Executive Producer

America Can We Talk?

Paavo Ensio

Chairman

Universal Minerals Group

Gary Marx

President

The Concord Fund

Allen Roth

President

Secure America Now

Richard D. Hayes

Partner

Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP

Debbie Wuthnow

President

iVoterGuide

Jack Park

Conservative Activist and Donor

Law Offices of Jack Park

The Honorable Jake Hoffman

Representative

Arizona House of Representatives

Penna Dexter

Co-host

Point of View Radio

The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr.

Managing Editor

ConservativeHQ.com

Daniel Perrin

Founder

HSA Coalition

Amy Kremer

Chairwoman

Women for America First

Kylie Jane Kremer

Executive Director

Women for America First

James L. Martin

Founder/Chairman

60 Plus Association

The Honorable Peter J. Thomas

Chairman

The Conservative Caucus

Randy M. Long

Founder

Long Business Advisors, LLC

Sal Russo

Co-Founder and Chief Strategist

Tea Party Express

The Honorable Diana Denman

President

The Reagan Legacy Forum

Joan Holt Lindsey

President

Lindsey Communications

Dr. Richard Rounsavelle

Trustee

Media Research Center

William W. Pascoe, III

Board Member

Tea Party Patriots Action

Dr. John Tyler

Professor

HBU

Jennifer Braceras

Director

Independent Women's Law Center

Trent England

Executive Director

Save Our States

Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr.

Vice President & Legal Director,

National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

Barry Meguiar

President

Ignite America

Dr. Richard Lee

President

There’s Hope America

Ashley Baker

Director of Public Policy

Committee for Justice

E.C. Sykes

General Partner

Aslan Ventures

• H.R. 1

• S. 1

• First Amendment

• Free Speech

• Political Speech

• Donor lists

• Charities

• NAACP v. Alabama

• Nonprofit organizations

• Online advertising

• For the People Act

• Mail-in voting

• Voter ID

• Voter integrity

• Speech regulation

• intimidation