To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine Program for certain reporting violations.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2747) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine Program for certain reporting violations.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2747, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine Program for certain reporting violations for an additional 10 years.

Congress has previously extended this program six times, each time on a nonpartisan basis. I rise today to encourage my colleagues to again extend the authorization of this crucial program.

The Federal Elections Commission, commonly referred to as the FEC, enforces Federal law that requires political committees to file reports of receipts and disbursements by a certain date.

Under the Administrative Fine Program, the FEC is able to swiftly resolve infractions related to late-filed or unfiled reports, ensuring transparency and accountability in our political process.

Currently, the Administrative Fine Program is set to expire on December 31, 2023. By passing this bill today, the House will extend the program for an additional 10 years, ensuring the FEC can expeditiously assess and enforce fines against campaign committees for their late-filed or unfiled reports.

Without the Administrative Fine Program, the FEC would be required to go through its traditional enforcement process to achieve compliance. This process is more costly and more time consuming. It would result in fewer available resources for the agency to devote to serious violations of campaign finance law.

The Administrative Fine Program has been successful. Before the inception of the Administrative Fine Program, an average of 21 percent of campaign finance reports were filed late. Now, late-filed reports are below 10 percent, and the agency has assessed over $9 million in fines. It is important to note that these fines do not fund the agency but are deposited in the U.S. Treasury.

Fewer late-filed reports means greater transparency for the American public. Greater transparency builds Americans' confidence in our elections.

The bill not only accomplishes the immediate goal of efficient campaign finance regulation, but it also aligns with the broader objectives of the American Confidence in Elections Act, or ACE Act: transparency and our shared goal to ensure confidence in our elections.

By passing this bill today, we can ensure the FEC enforcement operations continue to run smoothly. In late September, the Committee on House Administration considered an identical bill, H.R. 5734, and reported it to the full House by voice vote.

Our Senate colleagues passed S. 2747 by voice earlier this fall, which means this important bill would go to the President's desk following passage in the House.

I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join the bipartisan membership of the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules Committee to support this important measure today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee), the chair of the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration and the former Florida Secretary of State.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, the ranking member on the Committee on House Administration, for his work in this regard.

As noted by my colleague, sometimes we disagree on elections administration. We have had those debates in our committee. This piece of legislation is a true nonpartisan opportunity for us to come together to provide more transparency for the American people, in particular, to make sure that this important program continues in place at the Federal Election Commission.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for speaking in support of this important measure. By passing the bill today, we can ensure FEC enforcement operations continue to run smoothly. I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join in supporting this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from Wisconsin for advancing this bill.

I rise in strong support of S. 2747, and I will probably be repeating and underscoring some of the things my good friend said, because this is important legislation. We should take time out to acknowledge how important it is.

This bill extends the Federal Election Commission's Administrative Fine Program for certain campaign finance reporting violations, which, as my good friend mentioned, has been extended several times in the past, last time through President Trump, and this will take it through the end of 2033.

The important program allows the FEC to assess administrative fines against those who fail to timely report their receipts and disbursements. The FEC relies heavily on the Administrative Fine Program to enforce campaign finance law.

It has been remarkably successful, as has been said. Since the year 2000, the FEC has made public more than 4,000 violations, and, through the program,

has assessed more than $8.8 million in fines.

It is important to note, before the program began, an average of 21 percent of campaign finance reports were filed late. Since the Administrative Fine Program has been in place, that number has been reduced to less than 10 percent.

The FEC has made it clear to Congress that this program is one of the most effective tools it currently has to combat campaign finance violations, and the extension of the program, which expires at the end of this year, is indeed vital.

Extending the Administrative Fine Program is the Commission's top- priority, bipartisan legislative recommendation, and the Commissioners reiterated the need to extend the program during a hearing in front of the Committee on House Administration in September.

Further, this extension has wide bipartisan support. A version of this extension, I will just note parenthetically, was included in both the Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act and the Republicans' ACE Act. It is interesting when we can get an agreement on two bills which vary pretty dramatically. I was grateful to partner with Chairman Steil on the House version of this extension.

Transparency and accountability in campaign finance are crucial to ensuring a healthy democracy. More than a century ago, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Louis Brandeis declared that: ``Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.'' This counsel, encouraging transparency and promoting good governance, remains vitally important to any strong civil society today.

Transparency about who is seeking to influence Federal elections is crucial to democratic self-governance. This is the purpose of the FEC, and this bipartisan act, S. 2747, will ensure that the FEC can continue to use one of its most effective tools to carry out its vital mission.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support S. 2747 to help preserve a crucial program and key tool enforcing our Nation's transparency and accountability laws.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here with my colleagues. It is interesting to me, as I went home over the weekend, there were a number of public events. One of the things people are concerned about in Congress, when they watch us, is that we often seem to have the inability to agree on anything.

Well, I remind people that is not always true. There are things that we do agree on. There are things that are important to this government and important to our democracy. I think this is a great example of people coming together on both sides to support an important tool that can be used to ensure our elections have the confidence of the American people and make sure that candidates who seek office are providing the kind of information necessary for transparency and accountability, as my good friend from Wisconsin has said.

I thank the chairman and the members of the committee. It is a privilege to be here, and I encourage all colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing support of S. 2747, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the Administrative Fine Program for certain reporting violations.

As the expiration deadline of December 31, 2023, approaches rather quickly, we, the Members of the House of Representatives, have an opportunity to continue the trend of bipartisan oversight of the Federal Election Commission.

If passed, S. 2747 will mark the seventh time that lawmakers have recognized the administrative importance and financially beneficial structure of the Administrative Fine Program.

As the former Florida Secretary of State, I know firsthand that voters will always seek transparency from political candidates and political campaigns.

Elections officials have a saying: Elections are partisan. Elections administration is not.

This bill is an example of that very principle. It is an example of the transparency and the confidence that Americans want to see in their elections. These same themes can be found in the American Confidence in Elections Act, which passed out of the Committee on House Administration in mid-July and is an example of the types of procedures and principles and laws that can be guidance for every State in America.

Today, we have the opportunity to showcase the cooperation, the diligence, and the work completed by members and staff on the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules Committee. This bill reflects our shared values, bipartisanship, transparency, and good governance.

I urge my colleagues to support S. 2747 so the Federal Election Commission can continue to ensure confidence and transparency in our elections process.