GOP eliminates Election Assistance Commission, citing waste

WASHINGTON (AP) – A House committee has voted to terminate an independent election commission charged with helping states improve their voting systems.

The party-line vote comes less than two days after President Donald Trump vowed to set up a White House commission to pursue his accusations of election fraud.

The vote in the House Administration Committee underscores the political differences between the Republican president and the party’s rank-and-file.

The GOP majority on the committee eliminated the Election Assistance Commission, which was created by Congress after the 2000 Florida recount to upgrade voting technology and provide election-related information to federal entities, state officials and election administrators.

Republicans say the commission is a prime example of government waste. They’ve been introducing legislation to end the commission for years with little success.

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2/7/2017 2:25:45 PM (GMT -5:00)