CONGRESSMAN MORELLE TAKES ACTION TO PROTECT AMERICA’S ELECTIONS AND STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY

(Washington, DC) - Today, Congressman Joe Morelle took action to protect America's elections and strengthen our democratic institutions by passing the Protecting Our Democracy Act. Rep. Morelle is a co-sponsor of the legislation which seeks to enhance transparency and accountability and protect American elections from foreign interference.

"Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy and we must ensure they are protected from any interference, be it foreign or domestic," said Congressman Joe Morelle. "In the words of my dear friend, the late Rep. John Lewis: ‘Democracy is not a state—it is an act.' That is why my colleagues and I have repeatedly taken action to protect our democratic institutions, and we'll continue fighting to ensure our democracy remains strong for generations to come."

The Protecting Our Democracy Act is takes important steps to restore the checks-and-balances, accountability, and transparency our Founding Fathers envisioned to protect against abuse of power. The legislation stands as a complement to other vital voting rights legislation passed by the House of Representatives this year, including H.R. 1, the For The People Act, and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Specifically, the Protecting Our Democracy Act will:

• Prevent abuses of the Presidential pardon power.
• Ensure no president is above the law by suspending the statute of limitations for any federal offense committed by a sitting president or vice president.
• Strengthen tools for Congress to enforce lawfully-issued subpoenas. 
• Impose a limit on Presidential declarations of emergencies and any powers triggered by such declarations unless extended by a vote of the Congress.
• Enhance protections for federal whistleblowers, including measures to protect the anonymity of whistleblowers.
• Protect against foreign interference in elections by requiring that political committees report to the FBI and the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) certain foreign contacts.

For more information on the Protecting Our Democracy Act, click here.

###