For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 12, 2001

President Commends House for Election Reform Bill
Statement by the President

I commend the House of Representatives for today's overwhelming passage of the bipartisan Help America Vote Act.   This legislation goes a long way toward adopting reforms advocated by the Ford/Carter Commission on Federal Election Reform, and is based on principles I endorsed and recommended to Congress in July. The Ney-Hoyer bill is a good start in achieving these goals -  it respects the value of every eligible vote and the primary role of state, county, and local governments in elections.  I look forward to working with Congress to enact responsible election reform before the upcoming 2002 elections.

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