Hoyer Pushes Election Reform at White House
Election reform is a priority for AAPD's Disability Vote
Project. The following press release discusses a meeting between Cong. Steny
Hoyer (the lead Democratic sponsor of last year's election reform bill),
President Bush, and other congressional leaders, where they talked about the
need to fund the Help America Vote Act at meaningful levels. Portions of that
act focused on accessibility for people with disabilities.
Jonathan Young, PhD
JFA Editor, AAPD
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Hoyer Presses Election Reform Issue at White House Meeting Bush,
Congressional Leaders Commit to Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2003
CONTACT: Stacey Farnen
202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D- MD) released the
following statement today regarding Federal election reform after meeting at
the White House with President Bush and other Congressional and White House
leaders:
"Last year, Congress passed landmark Federal election reform legislation that
authorizes $3.9 billion over four years to upgrade and modernize our outdated
election system. Today, in a meeting at the White House, I specifically raised
the issue with President Bush and Congressional leaders that we have not yet
honored our commitment to fund this bipartisan legislation. And I urged them
to make a commitment to the funding that is crucial to real election reform.
"I am extremely pleased to report that the response I received from the
President and Congressional leaders was very positive. President Bush,
Senators McConnell (R-KY) and Stevens (R-AK), and Mitch Daniels, the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget, all agreed that we must fund this
important effort.
"Specifically, they believe that we should fund election reform this year
outside the regular appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2003.
"It is imperative that we begin to fund the commitments in the 'Help America
Vote Act' as soon as we can so that states may implement its provisions before
our next general election in November 2004. We are now in the homestretch of
this long legislative effort to achieve real reform. Without this funding, our
work to protect the most cherished right in our democracy - the right to vote
and have your vote counted - will go for naught. We have a duty to see to it
that funding for election reform is not an afterthought."
Congressman Hoyer was the lead Democratic sponsor in the House of the "Help
America Vote Act," which, among other provisions, authorizes $650 million for
a punch card/lever machine buyout and other initial voting reforms; and $3
billion for voting system improvements ($1.4 billion in Fiscal 2003, $1
billion in Fiscal 2004, and $600 million in Fiscal 2005). President Bush
signed the legislation into law on October 29, 2002.
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JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the American Association of People with
Disabilities
www.aapd-dc.org
www.jfanow.org
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Last Updated on
04/14/04
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