House Committee Releases Proposal Eliminating Federal Funding for Elections
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, June 22, the U.S. House Financial Services and General Government Committee released a budget proposal that would eliminate federal funding for election departments.
In cuts to what the committee claims as “wasteful spending,” the proposal would eliminate existing funding for election security grants and reject new funding proposals. President Joe Biden’s proposed budget, on the other hand, had requested $300 million in grants. Republicans’ bill would also cut annual funding of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) by $8 million.
Bipartisan groups have urged Congress to increase the amount of money appropriated for election security grants, which was $75 million last year. The grants provide states additional funding to improve election security and election administration, implement audit systems, replace outdated equipment and more.
Reports have shown that Congress has woefully underfunded our elections, with funding shortfalls being a persistent problem nationwide. As a result, private funding is often needed from outside groups to effectively and securely fund election administration. However, this type of funding has also come under increasing attack, with multiple Republican states outlawing private grants and donations this year.