Statement on House of Representatives Action on Election Reform Legislation

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.