On the recordMarch 2, 2021
I rise, not only in opposition to this bill, but in strong opposition, especially to the attempt to nationalize our Federal elections, and the notion that people like Joseph Kirk, of Bartow County, Georgia, the elections superintendent, who has done a phenomenal job administering our elections, is not as qualified as people here in this room as to how to run an election. More importantly, the idea that bureaucrats up here in Washington, D.C., can administer an election in Bartow County better than our elections supervisor can and has is a notion beyond compare. In fact, this flies in the face of our Founders, especially those at the Constitutional Convention. You see, there were arguments against Article I, Section 4, the Elections Clause, because the fear that was stated was that those in power could use that power to manipulate elections to keep them in power, that one day someone would use this authority to manipulate the elections so they can maintain power. Madam Speaker, I believe we have arrived at that. Now, Alexander Hamilton, he argued the opposite. He said it is important that institutions of government be able to preserve themselves, but this was a backup. It was a backup that the States had the priority to run their own elections. In fact, he said it should only be used when ``extraordinary circumstances might render that interposition necessary to its safety.'' We are not in that extraordinary circumstance.…
