North Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde joined fellow Republicans voting against House Resolution 1, which would provide for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's elections process.
H.R. 1 is titled the For the People Act, but Clyde called it the "For the Politicians Act" in a statement his office released Wednesday.
"H.R. 1 is nothing but an attempt by Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Party to make their slim majority in Congress permanent," Clyde wrote. "This self-serving piece of legislation does nothing to address concerns regarding election security shared by millions of Americans across the country. In fact, it would likely exacerbate them."
Clyde, who lives in Jackson County and represents Georgia's Ninth District, pointed to the efforts of state lawmakers in Georgia who are working to tighten voting laws.
"While Democrats here in Washington seek to usurp the Constitutional rights of states to determine their own election administration, lawmakers in my home state of Georgia are working to make smart and targeted reforms to our state’s election laws, including picture identification for absentee voting. These reforms are critically important," Clyde said.
Clyde said in remarks from the House floor that the measure would nullify the efforts of state lawmakers across the country who are trying to ensure accurate and legal elections.
"I read the bill to figure out what I needed to do in order to obtain and cast an absentee ballot under H.R. 1, and I was shocked to learn that I needed nothing. No witness signature. No form of picture identification. Nothing," Clyde said.
H.R. 1 passed the House along party lines Wednesday; all GOP members of the U.S. House voted against it. The resolution now moves to the U.S. Senate for debate.
Follow this link to see Clyde's remarks from the House floor.
