2019: Schweikert Effectively Voted For The FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Which. In December 2019, Schweikert effectively voted for the FY 2020 NDAA. According to Congressional Quarterly, "In the wake of Russian interference in the U.S. electoral process, the measure contains a number of provisions relating to election security. It directs the Homeland Security Department (DHS) to submit a report on cyberattacks and attempted cyberattacks by foreign governments on U.S. election infrastructure in connection with the 2016 presidential election, including states and localities affected and efforts to attack voter registration databases, voting machines, and voting-related computer networks." The vote was on adoption of the conference report to accompany the bill. The House adopted the conference report by a vote of 377-48. The bill was later passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President. [House Vote 672, 12/11/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, S.1790]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Require A Study On The 2020 Elections And Recommendations To Support States Improve Their Vote-By-Mail Systems. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against en block amendments no. 1 to the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require the Election Assistance Commission to conduct a study on the 2020 elections and compile a list of recommendations to help states transition to or improve their current vote-by-mail system." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 218-210. [House Vote 52, 3/2/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 16; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Assessing Cyber Threats Before Any Election. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require the Homeland Security Department to assess cyber threats to the election system prior to any election." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 220-210. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 62, 3/3/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/3/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Appoint A Senior Cyber Policy Advisor To Be The Primary Policy Advisor To The Election Assistance Commission On Cybersecurity For National Elections. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against en bloc amendments no.3 to the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "direct the Election Assistance Commission to appoint a senior cyber policy advisor to be the primary policy advisor to the commission on cybersecurity matters for federal elections." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 221-207. [House Vote 55, 3/2/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 20; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against Making Election Day A Federal Holiday As Part Of A Larger Anti-Corruption And Democracy Reform Bill. In March 2019, Schweikert voted against The 'For The People Act.' According to Congressional Quarterly, "The bill includes numerous provisions intended to make it easier for Americans to register and vote in federal elections --- including by making the general election day in November a federal holiday and expressing the sense of Congress that private employers should also give their employees that day off so they can vote." The overall was, also according to CBS News, "the most sweeping anti-corruption measure passed by the House of Representatives in a generation, by a vote of 234 to 193. The bill focuses on voting rights, campaign finance, and government ethics." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 234 to 193. [House Vote 118, 3/8/19; Congressional Quarterly, 3/5/19; CBS News, 3/8/19; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2021: Schweikert Voted For An Amendment That Would Strike A Provision That Would Protect U.S. Democratic Institutions From Activities That Undermine Integrity Such As Cyber Attacks, Disinformation, And Influence Operations. In March 2021, Schweikert voted for an amendment to For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "strike from the bill a section that would require the creation of a national strategy to protect against cyber attacks, influence operations, disinformation campaigns and other activities that could undermine the security and integrity of U.S. democratic institutions, and that would establish a commission to counter efforts to undermine democratic institutions within the United States." The vote was on adoption of an amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 207-218. [House Vote 54, 3/2/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 19; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill, Which Provided $440 Million To The Election Assistance Commission. In December 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill "provides $440 million to the Election Assistance Commission, including $425 million in new grants to improve the security and integrity of elections for Federal office." The vote was a motion to concur in the Senate Amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 280-138. The Senate then passed the bill and the President signed the bill into law. [House Vote 690, 12/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.1158]
2018: Schweikert Voted Against Increasing Funding For The Election Assistance Commission By $380 Million. In July 2018, Schweikert voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "increase[d] funding for the Election Assistance Commission by $380 million, and would decrease funding for the 'Fund for America's Kids and Grandkids' by the same amount." The underlying legislation was an FY 2019 Interior, Environment and Financial Services appropriations bill. The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion, thereby defeating the amendment, by a vote of 182 to 232. [House Vote 364, 7/19/18; Congressional Quarterly, 7/19/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6147]
2018: Schweikert Voted Against The $1.3 Trillion FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Deal Which Raised Spending By $138 Billion Over FY 2017 Levels, Including $300 Million To The FBI To Counter Russian Election Hacking And $380 Million For The Election Assistance Commission To Help States Improve Election Security. In March 2018, Schweikert voted against the FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Combined, the spending measures would provide about $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending, with $1.2 trillion subject to discretionary spending caps, and $78.1 billion designated as Overseas Contingency Operations funds. The measure's spending levels are consistent with the increased defense and non-defense budget caps set by the two-year budget deal agreed to last month. That agreement increased the FY 2018 defense cap by $80 billion and the non-defense cap by $63 billion. Given that the previous caps were set to reduce overall discretionary spending by $5 billion, the net increase provided by the omnibus is $138 billion over the FY 2017 level." The vote was on the motion to concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment. The House agreed to the motion, thereby passing the bill, by a vote of 256 to 167. The Senate later agreed to the legislation, sending it to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 127, 3/22/18; Congressional Quarterly, 3/22/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1625]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against An Election Security Bill To Counter Foreign Interference In American Elections. In October 2019, Schweikert voted against a bill that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "expand disclosure requirements for political advertisements and prohibit certain activities related to political campaigns, particularly with regards to foreign influence. Specifically, the bill would require political campaign committees to report foreign contacts by the campaign to the Federal Election Commission and Federal Bureau of Investigation, within one week of the contact. It would require such disclosures in the case of any direct or indirect foreign communication between the candidate or campaign officials and foreign nationals that involves any offer or proposal for a contribution or provision of services between the two entities. It would require candidates and campaign officials to notify their campaign committees within three days of such contact. It would establish criminal penalties for violations of these disclosure requirements, including fines of up to $500,000 or a prison term of up to five years. The bill would expand certain existing FEC regulations for political advertising to include internet communications, including to require paid advertisement disclaimers and prohibit spending by foreign nationals for online and digital political ads. Among other provisions, it would also establish criminal penalties for any attempts to hinder, interfere with, or prevent a person from voting or registering to vote, and it would require reports to Congress within 180 days of each federal election detailing reports of deceptive practices and evaluating the influence of foreign financing in U.S. elections." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 227-181. The bill was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 583, 10/23/19; Congressional Quarterly, 10/23/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.4617]
The Election Security Bill Criminalized The Sharing Of Nonpublic Information Between Campaigns And Foreign Nationals. According to Congressional Quarterly, "House Democrats passed more legislation Wednesday meant to counter foreign interference in American elections [...] The legislation would require campaigns to report offers of foreign assistance to the FBI, restrict foreign nationals from the decision-making process of political action committees and establish disclosure rules to keep foreign nationals from funding online advertisements about candidates, elections and national legislative issues, among other provisions [...] The bill would also make it a crime for candidates or their campaigns to give a foreign national nonpublic information related to an American election." [Congressional Quarterly, 10/23/19]
Republicans Cited First Amendment Concerns In Opposition To The Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans who oppose the legislation say something is needed to address foreign meddling, but that this bill is not the solution because of First Amendment concerns and significant flaws in the provisions." [Congressional Quarterly, 10/23/19]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against An Election Security Bill Related To Voting System Infrastructure. In June 2019, Schweikert voted against a bill that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "authorize funding for and establish a number of requirements related to voting system infrastructure, security, and audits for federal elections. Specifically, it would require each jurisdiction administering voting for a federal election to conduct votes with paper ballots that can be counted either by hand or optical scanner and to conduct manual audits for all federal elections before an election is certified. It would authorize $1.3 billion through fiscal 2026 for U.S. Election Assistance Commission grants for states to update voting systems in accordance with the bill's provisions, including for cybersecurity risk mitigation and to conduct post-election audits. Among other provisions, it would require states to use voting system hardware and software manufactured in the U.S., require that such systems are tested by the Commission at least nine months before a general federal election, and establish certain disclosure and cybersecurity incident reporting requirements for vendors of voting system equipment. It would also prohibit states from using voting systems connected to the internet or containing wireless capabilities and would require jurisdictions to ensure that each polling station has voting systems equipped for individuals with disabilities, including visual and mobility disabilities." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 225-184. The bill was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 428, 6/27/19; Congressional Quarterly, 6/27/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.2722]
The Bill Required Voting Systems To Use Backup Paper Ballots In Federal Elections. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The house passed an election security measure Thursday that would require voting systems to use backup paper ballots in federal contests, while also mandating improvements to the higher-tech side of politics [...] It would also require implementation of cybersecurity safeguards for hardware and software used in elections, bar the use of wireless communication devices in election systems and require that electronic voting machines be manufactured in the United States." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/27/19]
Republicans Opposed The Bill, Arguing That It Was Federal Overreach Into Elections And Infringed Upon States' Authority. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans acknowledged the urgent need for action in securing the nation's election systems. But they spoke out against the bill, calling it federal overreach into elections, which are managed by states and localities. 'Democrats' bill focuses on forcing states to restructure their election systems through federal mandates and ignores states' rights to choose the election system that best fits their unique needs," said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill, the ranking Republican on the Administration Committee [...] So far, McConnell has refused to allow votes on any election security proposals, citing concerns that the measures would erode state authority over elections." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/27/19]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against Requiring Contingency Plans To Allow Voting During A State Of Emergency, Including A Natural Disaster Or Pandemic. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states to establish contingency plans to enable voting during an emergency, including a natural disaster or infectious disease." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 220-210. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 62, 3/3/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/3/21; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2017: Schweikert Voted For The FY 2018 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution Which In Part Called For Eliminating The Election Assistance Commission. In October 2017, Schweikert voted for a budget resolution that would in part, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide for $2.9 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2018. It would balance the budget by fiscal 2023 by reducing spending by $10.1 trillion over 10 years. It would cap total discretionary spending at $1.06 trillion for fiscal 2018 and would assume no separate Overseas Contingency Operations funding for fiscal 2018 or subsequent years and would incorporate funding related to war or terror into the base defense account. It would assume repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and would convert Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program into a single block grant program. It would require that off budget programs, such as Social Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, be included in the budget." The underlying legislation was an FY 2018 House GOP budget resolution. The House rejected the RSC budget by a vote of 139 to 281. [House Vote 555, 10/5/17; Congressional Quarterly, 10/5/17; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 455; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 71]
2024: Schweikert Voted To Require All Mail-In Ballots To Have Tracking Information. In November 2024, Schweikert voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill, as amended, that would require all mail-in ballot envelopes used in any election for federal office to include a USPS bar code that enables individual ballots to be tracked, satisfy USPS ballot envelope design and machine-readable requirements, and include the Official Election Mail Logo. It would specify that write-in absentee ballots and ballot envelopes provided under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act would be exempt from the bill's requirements." The House passed the bill by a vote of 396 to 6. [House Vote 467, 11/18/24; Congressional Quarterly, 11/18/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5658]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Require Certain Polling Locations To Stay Open For An Extended Four Hours Outside The Typical Working Hours Of 9 AM To 5 PM. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against en bloc amendments no.4 to the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states to run polling locations that are open for at least four hours outside of the period between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 223-208. [House Vote 58, 3/3/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/3/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 23; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Require Election Officials To Consider Linguistic Preferences When Posting Polling Location Notices. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against en bloc amendments no.3 to the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require election officials to take the linguistic preferences of voters in the jurisdiction into account when posting required notices at polling locations." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 221-207. [House Vote 55, 3/2/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 20; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
2021: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Would Allow College Campuses To Serve As Polling Locations. In March 2021, Schweikert voted against en block amendments no. 1 to the For The People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states to ensure that polling places that allow early voting be located on campuses of higher education institutions." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 218-210. [House Vote 52, 3/2/21; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/21; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 16; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]