WASHINGTON – Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL) issued the following statement upon today’s release of a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to the House Rules Committee regarding their concerns with H.R. 1 and explaining why they cannot support H.R. 1.

Though the ACLU mentions their original support for some provisions in H.R. 1, the letter, written by Ronald Newman, National Political Director, and Kate Ruane, Senior Legislative Counsel, goes on to say, “There are also provisions that unconstitutionally impinge on the free speech rights of American citizens and public interest organizations. They will have the effect of harming our public discourse by silencing necessary voices that would otherwise speak out about the public issues of the day.”

Some of H.R. 1’s provisions that the ACLU expresses concerns with are the DISCLOSE Act, Stand By Every Ad Act, Honest Ads Act, Expansion of Foreign Donation Prohibition, Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act, Conflicts from Political Fundraising Act of 2019, and The Ethics in Public Service Act. They conclude the letter by saying, “While there are many aspects of H.R. 1 that we strongly support, the provisions outlined above must be changed to avoid unconstitutionally burdening political speech.”

“When groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, who have traditionally supported the Democratic party, echo my concerns with H.R. 1, it underscores why election reform legislation should not be developed in a partisan manner,” said Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL). “H.R. 1 will limit free speech and infringe upon Americans’ constitutional rights. Democrats need to reconsider some of these dangerous provisions in the bill, and Members on both sides of the aisle should use thoughtful consideration when voting on this legislation.”

To read the letter from the American Civil Liberties Union, click HERE.

You can click to view our documents: Myth vs. Fact; Top 10 Most Egregious Provisions; and Voter Impact of H.R. 1.

###