Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher voted for H.R. 5314, the Protecting Our Democracy Act to restore our system of checks and balances, strengthen accountability in government, protect our elections, and prevent presidential abuses.  Congresswoman Fletcher is an original co-sponsor of this legislation, which passed the House of Representatives, 220-208.

“The Protecting Our Democracy Act will strengthen and protect our democratic institutions and processes, important steps to maintain public trust in government,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “This bill will help restore transparency, integrity, and accountability—and Americans’ faith in our government.  I was glad co-sponsor this bill, and to vote for it today in the House.” 

The Protecting Our Democracy Act will reassert Congress’s role as a coequal branch of government by addressing the vulnerabilities exposed in recent years. It does so by:

• Preventing presidential abuses: ensures pardon power cannot be abused and presidents are not above the law, deterring corruption and foreign interference and fighting personal self-enrichment.

• Restoring our system of checks and balances and strengthening accountability in government: enforces Congress’s subpoena power and power of the purse, strengthens Congressional oversight of emergency declarations, protects the Department of Justice from political meddling from any White House, prevents public servants from engaging in partisan activity, protects whistleblowers and the independence of Inspectors General, restores transparency to the White House including with transparency in tax returns, and helps ensure a smooth presidential transition.

• Protecting our elections: prevents foreign interference in elections and bolsters public confidence in our democratic institutions.

No president is above the law.  With this legislation, we have the opportunity to ensure accountability, ethics, and integrity in government.  A section-by-section summary of the bill can be found here.