Harley Rouda: “The people of Orange County sent me to Congress because they were disillusioned with the nature of our politics, whether…”

“The people of Orange County sent me to Congress because they were disillusioned with the nature of our politics, whether it is the toxic partnership or the vice grip of special interest money on our political system. I offer these amendments today to improve this landmark bill by regulating political ads and restore voters' confidence in our elections. Our government has, for too long, preferred to shield special interests instead of our constituents; and that ends by getting out of politics and passing the For the People Act. In an age of advanced cybersecurity threats, more States are looking to one of the oldest technologies in existence, paper. Currently, the majority of States utilize some form of paper ballot for elections, with more taking steps to adopt paper-only systems. My amendment would require the use of recycled paper for Federal elections, a critical step to increasing the sustainability of our elections. Recycled paper production emits 40 percent fewer greenhouse gases, uses 26 percent less energy, and creates 43 percent less water waste than non-recycled paper. The impact of requiring the use of recycled paper for ballots is significant when you consider the amount of paper used in the United States. In fact, Americans use approximately 85 million tons of paper a year, about 680 pounds per person per year.…”