USW Opposes Trump Administration's New Voter Fraud Commission

PITTSBURGH, July 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard released the following statement following the Trump administration's announcement this week regarding its newly formed commission to investigate voter fraud:

"Despite no evidence to support the claims and despite the many issues our government should be focusing its efforts on, the Trump administration has chosen instead to launch a reckless and expensive investigation into what it asserts to be 'widespread voter fraud.'

"This investigation, which will be led by Vice President Pence, found its roots in the November 2016 election when then President-elect Donald Trump went on a Twitter rampage about the popular vote, despite winning the presidency through the electoral college. He claimed he would have won the popular vote too if not for 'the millions of people who voted illegally.'

"But the fact is these 'millions of people who voted illegally' don't exist. It never happened. State and local election officials have not found any evidence to support the claims, and the Trump administration itself hasn't offered anything either except some shady math and questionable studies. All we have are trumped-up allegations that merely distract the media and U.S. citizens from the chaos that has ensued within Trump's own cabinet, but we know better than to fall for them.

"It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that this investigation is all just an effort to eventually legalize voter suppression, which is one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. Since 2008, state legislatures across the country have passed measures to make it harder for Americans—particularly black people, the elderly, students and people with disabilities—to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot. Some of these measures include strict voter ID laws, eliminating same-day voter registration, and cutting a full week of early voting.

"These are the things the Trump administration should be investigating in regards to the voting booth. We should be protecting and enhancing everyone's ability to vote, not making it harder and definitely not asking states to hand over private information about their citizens, which is what the president's commission recently asked state election officials to do. Of course, nearly all of them have denied that request to at least some degree.

"This probe into so-called 'widespread voter fraud' is not only a waste of time and money, it is also a violation of civil rights. Strengthening the voting process is something we all want, but this fraud squad does the exact opposite.

"There is dignity in our democracy, and we have to fight to keep it that way. We must urge the Trump administration to call off this investigation and invest its energy in the issues that truly matter to the American people."

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org.

Contact: Chelsey Engel, [email protected], (412) 562-2281

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

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