"Americans deserve an FEC
willing and able to enforce the laws passed by Congress to protect the
integrity of our elections and the President must nominate new commissioners
who will serve as the cops on the beat."
The Federal Elections
Commission was left without a quorum Monday when vice chairman Matthew
Petersen, the fourth member of the already depleted agency, resigned, just
months before the 2020 election cycle kicks into gear with the primaries in
Iowa and New Hampshire.
At three members, the FEC is
left toothless and without the power to even convene meetings—much less enforce
the rules.
"The timing couldn't be
worse," wrote Mother
Jones reporter Russ Choma. "The 2020 election is predicted to be
the most expensive election in history, and a raft of unresolved questions are
facing the FEC when it comes to how to enforce rules to keep foreign influence
out of American democracy."
Elections expert and
University of California-Davis professor Rick Hasen told Choma that the FEC was
already running at historically ineffective levels in the Trump era, but at
least operating with a quorum allowed it some ability to protect the democratic
process.
"Even if the Democrats
and Republicans on the commissioners would deadlock on ordinary enforcement
matters, there is at least a chance they could come together in an emergency to
help ensure the integrity of the 2020 campaign," said Hasen.
In a statement, Common Cause
president Kate Hobert Flynn said Petersen's resignation, and the lack of
interest on the part of President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-Ky.) in filling the commission's empty seats, were a danger to the
country.
"Americans deserve an FEC
willing and able to enforce the laws passed by Congress to protect the
integrity of our elections and the President must nominate new commissioners
who will serve as the cops on the beat," said Flynn. "While the
agency may have fallen short of fulfilling its duties in recent years, to leave
the FEC without a quorum to act would court disaster."
Think Progress explained the
role of Washington's two most powerful Republicans:
President Donald Trump has
made little effort to appoint new commissioners since taking office. But the
one nomination he has made—pro-Trump attorney Trey Trainor of Texas—has been
waiting for a confirmation hearing since September 2017.
McConnell has dubbed himself
the "grim reaper," blocking virtually all legislative action in the
United States Senate and focusing almost exclusively on confirming Trump’s
nominees. But the Federal Election Commission has been a notable exception.
In a statement, FEC chairwoman
Ellen Weintraub said the
agency would be ready and willing to do whatever was necessary to continue its
mission, irrespective of quorum or enforcement.
"The FEC will still be
able to shine a strong spotlight on the finances of the 2020 campaign,"
said Weintraub.
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