Cummings Statement on First Meeting of President Trump’s Commission on “Voter Integrity”

Washington, D.C. (July 19, 2017)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the first meeting of President Trump’s “Voter Integrity” Commission:

“I have told both President Trump and Vice President Pence that a credible investigation on ‘election integrity’ cannot be conducted without also investigating voter suppression and Russian interference in the 2016 election.  Unfortunately, after watching the first meeting of the Commission, it is clear that they did not heed my warnings.  Instead, they will spend taxpayer dollars to investigate voter fraud, which we already know does not exist.

“I am old enough to remember when African Americans were denied access to the ballot box, and I fear that we are watching history repeat itself.  This is a fight that will define the kind of country we will leave behind for our children and for generations yet unborn.  I plan on fighting vigorously against all efforts to suppress the vote, and I urge my fellow Americans to do the same. This is our watch.”