Sean Patrick Maloney: “I rise in support for the underlying bipartisan bill on GSEs, but in strong opposition to the rule that was put in at…”

“I rise in support for the underlying bipartisan bill on GSEs, but in strong opposition to the rule that was put in at the last minute, a provision that prevents any nonprofit recipient of a housing grant from conducting nonpartisan civic voter registration. This is an outrageous, undemocratic provision that imposes restrictions on promoting the most fundamental of our civil liberties, the right to vote. Of all our rights, this is the one that our Founding Fathers held most dear. What in the world are we doing today in this Congress in an attempt to limit this great right on which our country was founded? Restricting the right of nonprofits in this way violates these organizations' first amendment rights. Voter ID, civic awareness, civic activities are protected by the first amendment. Yet this provision forbids any nonprofits from even applying for a grant if they have encouraged voting in the recent past. There is absolutely no justification for preventing nonprofits' efforts to encourage civic activities such as voting. Many faith-based organizations, including the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church, the American Jesuit Conference, have come out in opposition to this provision; and I will place in the Record at this point a list of these organizations that have come out in opposition to this provision. The Episcopal Church, Office of Government Relations, Washington, DC, October 20, 2005. Hon. Dennis Hastert, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.…”