Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-25) announced today the creation of the Election Integrity Caucus in Congress, which will be co-chaired by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) . The caucus will focus on addressing election security and restoring faith in the U.S. election system. Garcia and Tenney will serve as Co-Chairs of the caucus. The Election Integrity Caucus will proactively educate and inform the American public about issues related to election security and activity, drive commonsense policy solutions to restore faith in the democratic process, and improve the administration of elections. The caucus will ensure Americans in every state and territory have confidence in free, fair, accurate, and transparent elections. 

Garcia, who first came to Congress after winning a 2020 special election, won his recent Congressional election by 333 votes. It took well over a month after election day for his race to officially be certified. One of Garcia’s top priorities in Congress is working to restore election integrity as he has seen how California’s failed election policies, such as no I.D. required to vote, same day voter registration, and ballot harvesting have eroded the public’s trust in the election process. H.R. 1 would upload California’s failed election policies to the federal level and would also use taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns. Garcia is committed to working to provide real solutions to election integrity and stopping policies like H.R. 1, which further erode American’s confidence in the election process. 
 
“Americans deserve to trust our election process – but unfortunately far too many Americans have concerns regarding election integrity. Progressives in DC are attempting to model federal election law after California’s current system,” said Congressman Garcia. “In California, we know firsthand how harmful ballot harvesting, no-excuse mail-in ballot voting, and lack of voter roll integrity can be to free and fair elections. Proposals like H.R. 1 would allow for the adoption of these policies as the law of the land, which would devastate election integrity in America and lengthen post-election uncertainty. H.R. 1 would also put taxpayer dollars towards political campaigns. The integrity of our elections is crucial to maintaining the sanctity of our democracy. Restoring Americans’ faith in the election process should be a top priority in Congress, which is why I am proud to launch the Election Integrity Caucus. Our Caucus will bring lawmakers and experts together to discuss and create real, needed solutions to restore the integrity in our elections.”

Tenney experienced the administrative inefficiencies of elections firsthand in her congressional race during the 2020 election. It was not until February 11, 2021, that Tenney was sworn in following an exhaustive legal process by the New York State Supreme Court that extended for nearly 100 days. The legal process ensured every legally cast ballot was counted, but it revealed glaring administrative mistakes that resulted from statewide election mandates put in place by Governor Andrew Cuomo. House Democrats are now trying to nationalize these mandates through bills like H.R. 1, which would ban voter ID, permit ballot harvesting, require same-day voting and registration, and include other changes that will increase administrative confusion and the likelihood of fraud and abuse.   

“More Americans than ever before have concerns regarding how elections are administered in our country. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our constitutional republic, and voting is one of the most sacred rights and responsibilities we have as Americans. Congress must focus on restoring people’s faith in the democratic process. Proposals like H.R. 1 are going to make it harder to administer fair and transparent elections that voters have confidence in,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “H.R.1 lowers the standards so significantly that we sacrifice both the security and integrity of our elections and open the door to greater administrative mistakes and fraud.” 

“This caucus will shape the debate around election reform in Congress and drive real policy outcomes. I want every eligible American to vote. House Democrats continue to claim that we can’t protect our elections while also increasing participation, but they’re wrong. This caucus will focus on proactively educating voters about their sacred right to vote and enacting solutions to increase turnout and participation while securing safeguards to make sure only legal votes count,” Congresswoman Tenney concluded. “When a record number of Americans are concerned about the integrity of our elections, we need to come together to find solutions to the problem. That’s the focus of the Election Integrity Caucus.”

“Free and fair elections are the basis of our democracy. But because of administrative inefficiencies, misguided proposals like H.R. 1, and Democrats’ attempt to steal Iowa’s 2nd Congressional seat, more Americans than ever before have questions about the fair administration of our election system. Congress has an obligation to protect election integrity at every level of government and help earn back Americans’ trust. The Election Integrity Caucus, established today by Representatives Claudia Tenney and Mike Garcia, will do just that. By providing a forum where members of Congress can collaborate with election security experts, the Election Integrity Caucus will help ensure future American elections are as efficient and accurate as possible, and voters have complete confidence in our election system," said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

“The American people deserve confidence that their vote counts, and that election results reflect the will of the voters. During the last election cycle, we saw non-legislative officials in a select few states hastily implement their own rules and voting procedures without the necessary safeguards to ensure accurate and secure elections. I applaud Congresswoman Tenney and Congressman Garcia for creating the Election Integrity Caucus, and look forward to the role this new caucus will play as we work to develop solutions to protect the sanctity of our electoral process," said House Republican Whip Steve Scalise.

“It’s more important than ever before that we continue to tell the American people the truth about Democrats’ efforts to nationalize our elections,” said Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis. “Reps. Tenney and Garcia are uniquely qualified to help raise awareness about what’s actually happening in states across the country and what Democrats are trying to do at the federal level. H.R. 1/S. 1 would be the largest expansion of the federal government’s role in our elections than ever before and Americans deserve to know how this bill could impact their right to vote for decades to come. I look forward to hearing the discussions sparked by this new caucus.”