RNLA's blog featured a wide variety of topics in 2023, and we wanted to highlight some of the top posts here. Part One focused on RNLA's top blogs on attacks on the rule of law from the radical left. Part Two focuses on efforts by Republicans to fight back against the politicization and federalization of our elections. We hope you enjoy this recap of some of RNLA's top blog posts of 2023!

The Biden administration continues to hide its efforts to interfere with elections. In a recent letter authored by Sen. Bill Hagerty, Senate Republicans are demanding the White House and relevant agencies provide copies of their plans to implement Executive Order 14019 entitled “Promoting Access to Voting.” The letter was co-signed by 23 senators, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

The WH has refused to be transparent about the use of taxpayer funds to implement EO 14019—instructing federal agencies to engage in voter mobilization. I led my colleagues in calling out Biden for ignoring our demands for transparency on taxpayer-funded voter-turnout plans. pic.twitter.com/TH87VB6pLR

— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) November 30, 2023

The Left continues to incessantly attack newly-signed election laws in Georgia and Iowa which fall well within the mainstream. Despite this seeming obsession with state election reforms, they routinely ignore one the most important components of the new laws—they hold local election officials accountable for their election administration failures. As the RNC's Chief Counsel, Justin Riemer, explained in a recent op-ed, how elections are managed at the local level "make or break" them: 

[L]ess discussed are parts of the laws that hold to account and punish poor local election management practices.

On Wednesday, Senate Democrats announced their version of the "For the People Act" (a.k.a. the "Corrupt Politicians Act"). The Corrupt Politicians Act represents a permanent, partisan power grab by Democrats who will do what they can to keep Democrats in power at any cost.  his Friday, RNLA will host a webinar featuring Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and the Chairman of the Institute for Free Speech, Bradley Smith, to discuss the kind of litigation we might expect if parts of the Corrupt Politicians Act are passed or if President Biden forces measures through executive action.

One of the most prominent concerns with the Act is how it will restrict the freedom of speech of Americans. As Professor Smith wrote with IFS President David Keating:

Proponents of H.R. 1 say they want to make democracy work for the people, a popular but meaningless cliché. In reality, H.R. 1 creates new burdens on your rights, as Americans, to speak, assemble, and petition the government.

The threats to free speech in the so-called “For the People Act” span hundreds of pages and are too numerous to cover in their entirety here. But the short version is this: The bill makes speaking easier for politicians and harder for American citizens. It subsidizes politicians’ campaigns while allowing elected officials and their allies to compile enemies lists of private supporters of causes they don’t like. It imposes crushing regulatory burdens on groups that speak about elections, government or legislation.

The groups citizens rely on to monitor Washington and voice their concerns — such as the ACLU, the NRA, the Sierra Club and countless others — will be newly shackled. As just one example, the bill would regulate any “public communication” that “promotes, supports, attacks or opposes” any candidate. Groups will be scratching their heads trying to figure out what qualifies.

RNLA Board of Governors member and former FEC Chairman Matthew Petersen and RNLA member and former EAC Chairwoman Gineen Bresso, both currently attorneys with Holtzman Vogel Josefiak Torchinsky PLLC, wrote in The Hill about how Democrats in Washington are trying to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to federalize election administration and overwrite many state laws, systems, and rules before the election this fall.  They describe how important our decentralized election system is:

While we are awaiting some big decisions by the Supreme Court and Democrats begin their Presidential debates, the House begins debate tomorrow on a very important issue: making our elections more secure.  While Democrats continue in their quest to Federalize elections, Republicans continue in their efforts to help states and localities secure their elections.  As a result RNLA will release the following letter tomorrow to Speaker Pelosi and Republican House leader McCarthy:

Recently, Congress has been focusing on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and election cybersecurity by holding hearings.  Lawyers Democracy Fund (LDF) has been covering these hearings on its blog and Twitter feed.

On Monday, the Committee on House Administration's Election Subcommittee held a hearing in Florida on “Voting Rights and Election Administration.”

Democrats intentionally stacked the panel full of liberal congressional members and witnesses in order to outnumber Republican representation and stifle our perspective from being heard.

While Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) was the only Republican member and Logan Churchwell (Public Interest Legal Foundation) served as the only Republican witness, they stood their ground and spoke the truth.

The Democrat Politician Protection Act, or as it is officially called HR 1, the For the People Act of 2019, is being rushed to the House floor this week.  This unprecedented rewriting of all aspects of elections is ironic, because it does many things that the Democrats have screamed about for years. 

In today's markup of House Resolution 1, the House Committee on Administration defeated on party-line votes all amendments offered by the three Republican members to attempt to fix problems with the bill. The RNLA live-tweeted the markup, and here are some highlights (or, lowlights):