Washington, D.C. – This week, New Hampshire Democrat Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a man who has held the role of chief election official in the Granite State for 40 years, testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on “The Corrupt Politicians Act” H.R. 1/S. 1. It’s a bill that Democrat New Hampshire Senator, Maggie Hassan, cosponsored in the U.S. Senate.
Here are some of his greatest hits from the hearing:
- In his opening statement, Gardner said the bill would “trample New Hampshire’s state constitution.”
- To Sen. Chuck Grassley: “…I’ve made the statement that it could put the New Hampshire primary in a perilous position and I stand by that statement.”
- Agreed with Sen. Lindsey Graham’s claim that “The Corrupt Politicians Act” is a “power grab” by the federal government.
- Told Sen. Josh Hawley the bill with hurt NH turnout: “What has made turnout what it has been is a combination of the trust in the process and the ease of the process… If you take that away from New Hampshire, we’re not going to have the turnout that we have had over the years…Integrity is important. The belief that the process is honest is important. It’s a fine balance.”
- To Sen. Tom Cotton: “If you were to pass this (H.R. 1/S. 1), you’re completely taking away what has developed in New Hampshire for many, many years and works in the state. Why would you want to do it when the turnout is as high as it is?”
Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi: “Under oath, the most well-respected Democrat election official in New Hampshire confirmed that Maggie Hassan’s ‘Corrupt Politicians Act’ is a power grab by the federal government that would have a disastrous impact on elections in her state. While the opposition to this bill in New Hampshire transcends party lines, Maggie Hassan continues to block out the noise of those sounding the alarm. She can call herself ‘bipartisan’ all she wants, but if Schumer and Pelosi strip her state of its first-in-the-nation primary status, she – and the people of New Hampshire – will have no one to blame but her.”
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