The nonpartisan & bipartisan origins of the For the People Act

Over the last two decades there have been significant nonpartisan and bipartisan efforts to study the breakdown of our democratic processes and recommend solutions. The results of these efforts advance many of the critical reforms included in the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1)—a landmark bill that aims to strengthen the foundations of our democracy. With policy reforms encompassing voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics issues, the For the People Act will provide much needed improvements to our democractic institutions.

The policies outlined in H.R. 1/S. 1 enjoy nonpartisan and bipartisan support from commissions, think tanks, and congressional committees. We have compiled nonpartisan and bipartisan reports that have proposed remedies to key democracy reforms included in H.R. 1/S. 1. This explainer aims to disprove unfounded claims of partisanship surrounding the For the People Act. 

The non- and bi-partisan reports cited include:

Bauer-Ginsburg 2014 recommendations – As the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, this commission focuses on improving America’s election system, expanding accessibility, and improving the voter experience.

AAAS 2020 recommendations – Launched by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship provides strategies for the reform of American constitutional democracy through the study of political and civic life.

Carter-Ford 2001 recommendations – The National Commission on Federal Election Reform considers American electoral system flaws following the 2000 U.S. presidential election and recommends election reforms on the national and sub-national level.

Carter-Baker 2005 recommendations – The Commission on Federal Election Reform continues work of the 2001 Carter-Ford Commission to modernize the American electoral system and build confidence in U.S. elections.

Freedom House recommendations – Freedom House provided a framework for strengthening democracy to prevent interference from authoritarian actors and reinforcing the foundations of democracy through improving transparency and oversight.

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Russia Investigation recommendations – The Select Committee on Intelligence report investigates Russian efforts against election infrastructure and recommends mechanisms to build a stronger defense.

Knight 2019 recommendations – The Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy considers the crisis of trust in democracy and media to solve issues of disinformation and restore American democratic institutions in the digital age.

CED 2005 recommendations – The Committee for Economic Development report on election finance presents recommendations for ensuring effective enforcement of campaign finance law, strengthening the ban on soft money, and improving the presidential public funding system.

ABA Task Force on Federal Lobbying Laws recommendations – The American Bar Association report studies the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and considers improvements to lobbying regulation, registration, reporting, and enforcement.

CREW 2020 recommendations – CREW’s report, “What Democracy Looks Like” considers policy reforms to critical issues facing American democracy and forwards a blueprint for an accountable, inclusive, and ethical government.