The Independent View: Congressional Omnibus Spending Bill Includes Funds for EAC

Even as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has worked to re-establish itself as a valuable resource on election administration policy, there has been a nagging worry that Congressional doubts about the agency, which contributed to its lengthy hiatus, would somehow prevent it from getting the funds it needs to continue. Those worries were dispelled somewhat with news that funding for the agency is included in the new omnibus spending bill slated for passage this week.

The spending deal that Congress is poised to pass this week will give the EAC $9.6 million next year to help states run elections, including Congressional and Presidential contests.

The funding was added at the request of the administration despite the opposition of longtime EAC foe, Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi and other Republicans who complain the Commission has outlived its usefulness. Harper said he plans to continue working to defund the agency. “We will deal with it in the future. This is still an agency that needs to be eliminated.” he said.

While the EAC isn’t ready to comment until the bill is enacted into law, and given the agency’s history, who can blame them, they will have a full plate as the nation enters a Presidential election year. Commissioners have said pressing issues the EAC plans to tackle next include aging voting machines. The EAC launched a listening tour across the country earlier this year.

For years, the EAC operated without an Executive Director and lacked enough Commissioners for a quorum. Three of the four Commissioner slots are currently filled.

Last month, the agency hired Brian Newby, a former Election Commissioner from Kansas, as Executive Director. It also hired Cliff Tatum, former Executive Director of the District of Columbia Board of Elections, as General Counsel.

EAC priorities for next year include conducting a state-by-state voting survey and serving as an information clearinghouse for local officials, according to the agency’s budget request.

Despite the omnibus, the battle over the EAC’s future will go on. Voting rights groups say the agency should remain in place.

In a letter last month, Wade Henderson, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, urged House Committee leaders to continue funding the EAC, which he called “instrumental to protecting voters’ rights.” “At a time when voters in many jurisdictions must spend hours in line waiting to vote due to broken machines and under-trained workers, we need a fully funded EAC that will ensure that elections are run as effectively as possible in keeping with the HAVA standards,” Henderson wrote.

At least for now, the EAC will able able to do its work in a challenging election year.

Here’s hoping that their ongoing efforts to re-establish the agency’s value as policy resource for election officials across the country will make future funding discussions less fraught.