WASHINGTON, D.C.—This afternoon, Sen. Alex Padilla and members of the Senate Rules Committee will hold a spotlight hearing focused on President Trump’s continued attacks on free and fair elections. The hearing comes as the president and his enablers in Congress are continuing to push disinformation and conspiracy theories while manufacturing “evidence” of election problems in the hopes of making drastic changes to the nation’s elections.

Among those participating in the hearing is Amb. Norm Eisen (ret) , executive chair of Democracy Defenders Action (DDA). Below are some excerpts from his prepared remarks.

“Americans can disagree about policy and still agree on one basic rule: the people pick their leaders in free and fair elections. The president and his allies are trying to undermine that rule by spreading disinformation and pushing changes that would make it easier to manipulate outcomes.

“When politicians try to rig elections or convince people elections are rigged, it is not to protect voters. It is to protect themselves. They are trying to weaken the public’s faith so they can change the rules, pressure officials, and tilt outcomes.

“Congress has a constitutional duty to stop this slide and to defend a system where voters choose their leaders. We are honored to be a part of this important discussion and look forward to working with members and in support of meaningful safeguards and legislation to keep our elections free and fair.”

DDA is committed to electoral legitimacy by ensuring both meaningful voter access and the integrity of the systems that administer them. Through litigation, organizing, oversight, and rapid-response defense, DDA works across party lines to safeguard election integrity and protect lawful voter participation.

The hearing is at 2pm ET and will be livestreamed here: https://www.facebook.com/SenAlexPadilla/

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Democracy Defenders Action brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.