Sign-on letters
Approximately 200 members of Issue One’s bipartisan ReFormers Caucus — the largest bipartisan group of former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet officials ever assembled to advocate for political reform — today urged senators to include additional funding for states to administer safe and secure elections in the next coronavirus pandemic relief legislation.
“If we fail to ensure a safe and orderly election while the novel coronavirus continues to spread, we risk sending a message to the world that says we cannot protect ourselves,” wrote 199 members of the ReFormers Caucus — 116 Democrats and 83 Republicans — in a letter sent today to every member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The letter continued: “At a time when our nation is facing a dual economic and public health crisis, Congress must act to ensure state and local election officials have what they need to carry out a safe and credible election process that Americans have confidence in. Failure to deliver adequate resources for the November general elections —whether states and localities decide to invest in absentee ballots, more early voting, personal protective equipment, or recruitment of younger poll workers — will risk more chaos and confusion on Election Day, and will, ultimately, sow doubt in this sacred democratic process.”
Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee previously called the $400 million awarded to states in March a “solid down payment on making the 2020 elections safe, secure, and fair.” More funding is urgently needed now. One recent report found that five key states have less than 18% of the funding they need for a successful November election.
In alphabetical order, the 199 members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus who signed this letter are as follows:
| Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) | Rep. Barbara Kennelly (D-CT) |
| Rep. Chet Atkins (D-MA) | Gov. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) |
| Rep. Les AuCoin (D-OR) | Rep. Ronald Klein (D-FL) |
| Sec. Bruce Babbitt (D-AZ) | Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) |
| Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) | Rep. Mike Kopetski (D-OR) |
| Rep. Mike Barnes (D-MD) | Rep. Peter Kostmayer (D-PA) |
| Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) | Amb. Madeleine Kunin (D-VT) |
| Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) | Rep. Steve Kuykendall (R-CA) |
| Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) | Sec. Ray LaHood (R-IL) |
| Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) | Gov. Richard Lamm (D-CO) |
| Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) | Rep. Harold Lancaster (D-NC) |
| Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE) | Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) |
| Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) | Rep. Larry LaRocco (D-ID) |
| Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) | Rep. Rick Lazio (R-NY) |
| Gov. James Blanchard (D-MI) | Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) |
| Rep. Sherry Boehlert (R-NY) | Rep. John LeBoutillier (R-NY) |
| Rep. David Bonior (D-MI) | Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) |
| Rep. Don Bonker (D-WA) | Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI) |
| Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) | Rep. Mel Levine (D-CA) |
| Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ) | Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) |
| Sec. Bill Brock (R-TN) | Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA) |
| Rep. Jack Buechner (R-MO) | Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) |
| Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) | Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) |
| Rep. Tom Campbell (R-CA) | Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) |
| Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) | Rep. Andy Maguire (D-NJ) |
| Gov. John Carlin (D-KS) | Rep. Marjorie Margolies (D-PA) |
| Gov. Arne Carlson (R-MN) | Rep. Pete McCloskey (D-CA) |
| Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) | Sec. John McHugh (R-NY) |
| Rep. Bob Carr (D-MI) | Rep. Matthew McHugh (D-NY) |
| Gov. Mike Castle (R-DE) | Gov. John McKernan (R-ME) |
| Rep. John Cavanaugh (D-NE) | Rep. Tom McMillen (D-MD) |
| Rep. Rod Chandler (R-WA) | Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) |
| Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) | Rep. George Miller (D-CA) |
| Rep. Jon Christensen (R-NE) | Sec. Norman Mineta (D-CA) |
| Rep. Robert Clement (D-TN) | Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN) |
| Rep. William Clinger (R-PA) | Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) |
| Sec. Bill Cohen (R-ME) | Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD) |
| Rep. Tom Coleman (R-MO) | Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) |
| Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) | Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL) |
| Rep. Sam Coppersmith (D-AZ) | Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) |
| Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) | Rep. George Nethercutt (R-WA) |
| Sen. Jack Danforth (R-MO) | Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA) |
| Rep. Buddy Darden (D-GA) | Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE) |
| Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) | Rep. Richard Ottinger (D-NY) |
| Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) | Sec. Leon Panetta (D-CA) |
| Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN) | Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) |
| Rep. Jim Davis (D-FL) | Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) |
| Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) | Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) |
| Rep. Charles Djou (R-HI) | Rep. John Porter (R-IL) |
| Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) | Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) |
| Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) | Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) |
| Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) | Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) |
| Rep. Tom Downey (D-NY) | Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) |
| Gov. Michael Dukakis (D-MA) | Rep. Jack Quinn (R-NY) |
| Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-MN) | Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH) |
| Rep. Dave Emery (R-ME) | Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI) |
| Rep. Karan English (D-AZ) | Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA) |
| Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) | Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) |
| Rep. Thomas Evans (R-DE) | Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN) |
| Rep. Vic Fazio (D-CA) | Gov. Roy Romer (D-CO) |
| Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) | Rep. Ron Sarasin (R-CT) |
| Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN) | Rep. William Sarpalius (D-TX) |
| Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN) | Amb. James Sasser (D-TN) |
| Amb. Wyche Fowler (D-GA) | Sec. Ed Schafer (R-ND) |
| Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX) | Rep. Claudine Schneider (R-RI) |
| Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) | Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO) |
| Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) | Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI) |
| Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) | Rep. Philip Sharp (D-IN) |
| Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) | Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) |
| Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) | Rep. Karen Shepherd (D-UT) |
| Sec. Dan Glickman (D-KS) | Rep. Gerry Sikorski (D-MN) |
| Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) | Sen. Al Simpson (R-WY) |
| Dir. Porter Goss (R-FL) | Rep. David Skaggs (D-CO) |
| Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) | Rep. Jim Slattery (D-KS) |
| Rep. Jim Greenwood (R-PA) | Rep. Peter Smith (R-VT) |
| Sec. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) | Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) |
| Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN) | Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) |
| Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) | Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) |
| Rep. Mike Harrington (D-MA) | Rep. Charlie Stenholm (D-TX) |
| Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO) | Sen. Adlai Stevenson (D-IL) |
| Rep. Joseph Heck (R-NV) | Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) |
| Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO) | Amb. Richard Swett (D-NH) |
| Rep. Dennis Hertel (D-MI) | Gov. Bob Taft (R-OH) |
| Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) | Rep. Robin Tallon (D-SC) |
| Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) | Rep. John Tanner (D-TN) |
| Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY) | Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) |
| Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) | Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL) |
| Rep. Jerry Huckaby (D-LA) | Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) |
| Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) | Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) |
| Gov. Jim Hunt (D-NC) | Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) |
| Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) | Rep. Bob Walker (R-PA) |
| Rep. Earl Hutto (D-FL) | Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) |
| Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) | Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) |
| Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) | Gov. Christine Whitman (R-NJ) |
| Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL) | Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT) |
| Sen. Bennett Johnston (D-LA) | Sen. Tim Wirth (D-CO) |
| Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) | Gov. Bob Wise (D-WV) |
| Amb. Jim Jones (D-OK) | Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) |
| Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-KS) | Rep. Bill Zeliff (R-NH) |
| Gov. Tom Kean, Sr. (R-NJ) |
Issues: Election Protection, ReFormers Caucus
Sign-on letters
Today, 40 former members of Congress from Issue One’s bipartisan ReFormers Caucus commended the House of Representatives for continuing to invest in our nation’s legislative branch. In a letter addressed…
Sign-on letters
We as members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus — a bipartisan coalition made up of nearly 200 former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet officials — urge the House Committee…
Sign-on letters
Issue One joined more than 25 groups this week in urging Congress to strengthen and codify the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) into law. The letter opposes the recently passed…
