For the People Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. ESHOO. H.R. 1, For the People Act, is one of the most important bills Congress can consider because it strengthens and reforms our democracy at a time in history when it is especially fragile. This sweeping legislation is divided into three sections: voting, campaign finance, and ethics. Its numerous provisions expand voting rights, diminish the corrosive influence of money in politics, and bolster ethics and transparency to ensure government works for the people.

Voting is a fundamental right in a democracy, and H.R. 1 will expand voter rolls by requiring every state to adopt automatic and same-day voter registration, just as California has. The bill ends partisan gerrymandering by requiring states to adopt independent redistricting commissions and makes it easier to vote by expanding early voting and allowing every American to vote by mail, just as millions did last November during the pandemic.

H.R. 1 reforms our campaign finance system to address the disastrous Citizens United decision that opened the floodgates to unlimited contributions from anonymous donors. The legislation establishes a public Fair Elections Fund to match small dollar donations, strengthens Federal Election Commission (FEC) oversight of Super PACs, and requires ``dark money'' independent expenditure groups to disclose their donors just as candidates and Super PACs must do.

Lastly, the bill holds public officials accountable by closing lobbyist registration loopholes, strengthens conflict of interest rules, and empowers the Office of Government Ethics to better enforce ethics laws.

I'm very proud that H.R. 1 includes two major provisions I authored. The bill includes my Presidential Tax Transparency Act which requires the president and vice president to publicly release their tax returns annually. It also requires major party candidates for both offices to release ten prior years of tax returns within 15 days of accepting their party's nomination. Tax returns contain vital information such as whether a candidate has paid any taxes; what assets they own; if they've borrowed money and from whom; whether they've taken advantage of tax loopholes and offshore tax shelters; and whether they have foreign bank accounts. The disclosure of a presidential candidate 's tax returns is particularly important because the American people should be able to vet their finances before the election.

For decades, presidents and presidential candidates voluntarily released their tax returns. I introduced the Presidential Tax Transparency Act in 2016 when this bipartisan tradition was abandoned and it became clear that we could no longer rely on voluntary disclosure. Presidential candidates must be held to the highest standards of transparency to ensure confidence that they will work solely for the interests of the American people, not their own financial gain.

I'm also pleased that H.R. 1 establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. I've introduced similar legislation with Rep. Donald McEachin in the past three Congresses to give Americans the time off they need to vote and participate in our democracy. U.S. voter turnout in 2020 was the highest in over a century, but it consistently lags behind turnout in other established democracies, many of which vote on a weekend or holiday. While there are many factors that influence voter turnout, making Election Day a federal holiday will make voting easier and give Americans an opportunity to celebrate the importance of civic engagement and participation in the proud American tradition of self- governance.

H.R. 1 includes all of these important reforms and many others, and I'm proud to vote in favor of this critical legislation.

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