May 11, 2017

Kilmer Statement on President’s New Commission on American Elections

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced the President would sign an executive order establishing a commission to review voter fraud. 

“Every American deserves to have his or her voice heard in our elections and the freedom to cast a vote without interference,” said Kilmer. “President Trump continues to focus on spurious claims of voter fraud rather than dealing with actual facts of voter suppression. Unfortunately, the President’s new commission doesn’t live up to the request we made to look at how Americans have been prevented from voting. That's just wrong. I’m going to push the President on this issue because we need to protect the rights of every American citizen to participate in our democracy.”

In February, Representatives Kilmer, Terri Sewell (D-AL), and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) led a letter calling on President Trump to investigate voter suppression and disenfranchisement, including the possible impact of new restrictive state voting laws that last year were in effect for the first time in a presidential election, as part of any examination he conducts into voting irregularities.