WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as the Senate confirmed the appointment of Sylvia Mathews Burwell to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) sent Secretary Burwell a letter emphasizing the importance of properly incorporating voter registration services into the federal Exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). (The letter may be read here.)
Voting rights groups Demos and Project Vote issued the following joint statement in response:
“We congratulate Secretary Burwell on her new post, and we join our allies in the Congressional Progressive Caucus in urging her to take immediate action to bring the federal Health Benefits Exchanges into compliance with federal voting rights law.
“Because the Exchanges provide public assistance within the states, including Medicaid, they are covered by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), commonly known as the ‘motor voter’ law. The NVRA was enacted 20 years ago with strong bipartisan support from Congress. It simplified the voter registration process and made it more accessible by requiring convenient voter registration opportunities to be provided in certain instances when Americans interact with their government. Over 140 million Americans have applied to register to vote because of the NVRA.
“Although President Obama’s administration has acknowledged that these Exchanges are legally obligated to offer voter registration services to eligible Americans who apply for benefits, the current application process through the federal Exchanges does not meet the NVRA’s requirements and does not work effectively to ensure all eligible Americans have access to voter registration. As a consequence, the Exchanges are in violation of federal law, and several million Americans have already lost out on the opportunity to register to vote. Secretary Burwell should fix the application process so that the millions more Americans who have yet to apply for health benefits will not be denied their right to voter registration.
“Project Vote and Demos urge Secretary Burwell to make this issue a top priority as she takes over stewardship of HHS. We look forward to working with her to make sure that the federal Exchanges comply with the NVRA by providing Americans an effective opportunity to register to vote.”
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