To codify Executive Order 14248, entitled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections".
- Sponsor
- Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham [R-AZ-8]
- Committees
- Ways and Means Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Mar 31, 2025
Bottom line
This bill seeks to permanently embed an existing executive order focused on election integrity into federal law, thereby making its directives more difficult to reverse.
What it actually does
This bill codifies Executive Order 14248, entitled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," giving it the full force and effect of law. This action transforms the directives and policies outlined in the Executive Order from presidential mandates, which can be reversed by future administrations, into permanent federal statutes that require congressional action to alter or repeal.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that codifying the Executive Order ensures the long-term stability and enforceability of measures designed to protect the integrity of American elections, preventing future administrations from easily overturning these critical safeguards. They would emphasize the importance of secure and fair elections for public trust in democratic processes.
Opponents contend
Opponents might argue that codifying an executive order related to elections could be seen as an overreach of federal power into state-run election processes, or that the specific provisions of EO 14248 might be controversial or burdensome, potentially disenfranchising voters or creating unnecessary obstacles to voting.
The bill text is extremely short and easy to read, but understanding its full implications requires external research into Executive Order 14248.
Section 1
Codification of Executive Order 14248
This section states that Executive Order 14248, titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" (90 Fed. Reg. 14005), shall now have the full force and effect of law. This means that the directives and policies contained within that Executive Order, which were previously subject to change by future presidential administrations, would become permanent federal statute, requiring an act of Congress to alter or repeal.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that making the Executive Order permanent law ensures that its vital provisions for election security and integrity cannot be easily undone by a future president, providing stability and certainty to election administration efforts.
Critics contend
Opponents may argue that elevating an executive order to statutory law without full congressional debate on its specific provisions bypasses the normal legislative process and could enshrine potentially controversial or problematic policies related to elections.
Tradeoffs
The bill balances the desire for permanent election integrity measures against concerns about the legislative process and the potential for federal overreach into state election matters.
The bill codifies Executive Order 14248, making its provisions permanent law. The actual substance of the policy is contained entirely within the referenced Executive Order (90 Fed. Reg. 14005), not in the bill text itself.
Section 1
Why it matters:This is a standard legislative practice for codifying existing executive orders or regulations, but it effectively 'buries' the substantive policy details by requiring external research to understand the full implications.
Case for: This approach is efficient for making existing executive policy permanent without re-drafting lengthy text, streamlining the legislative process for established directives.
Case against: Critics might argue that this method makes it difficult for the public and even legislators to fully understand the implications of the bill without extensive external research, potentially obscuring controversial provisions within the referenced Executive Order.
Estimated impact: The impact is entirely dependent on the content of EO 14248, which could range from minor administrative adjustments to significant changes in election oversight or voter access.