S1290 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 3, 1998 As we move further and further into news that Rep. Loretta Sanchez would keep erendum that approved a new stadium. They the information age, the national gov- her seat was the conclusion of a House task cite evidence of actions by city and stadium ernment must ensure that competition force that 748 illegal votes had been cast in officials to tilt the results toward a pro-sta- is not eliminated. The Department of an election decided by only 979 votes. dium vote. The scandal has already been The year long investigation established 624 marked by the registrations of the city’s Justice should therefore be commended ‘‘documented’’ cases of non-citizens voting. election supervisor and Edward DeBartolo, for acting to protect consumers and Another 124 voters cast improper absentee chairman of the San Francisco 49ers. businesses alike. Similarly, Microsoft ballots. An additional 196 votes may well Everyone supports the right to vote, but an deserves credit for agreeing to settle have been illegal, but only circumstantial equally important right is the guarantee of the issue of bundling its operating sys- evidence existed. ‘‘In the end of the day,’’ elections that are fair and free of fraud. tem software with its internet browser says GOP task force member Rep. Robert Right now a growing number of states can’t software in what the Department of Ney, ‘‘Bob Dornan was right—there were ille- guarantee the integrity of their results, and gal voters.’’ In the Sanchez race they rep- that inevitably will lead to an increasing Justice believed to be a fair and equi- resented close to 1% of all votes cast. The cynicism and disenchantment with the table manner. Both made the right danger is that if this is tolerated, it will only democratic process.∑ call.∑ get worse. f f In the wake of the Sanchez-Dornan dis- pute, Rep. Steve Horn, a California Repub- NATO EXPANSION AND THE EU SANCTITY OF THE BALLOT lican, called for a vote on a pilot program to ∑ Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, ∑ combat fraud in five large states. Local and Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, state officials would be allowed, but not re- today the Senate Foreign Relations yesterday’s Wall Street Journal lead quired, to check citizenship records with So- Committee has reported the Resolution editorial entitled ‘‘Sanctity of the Bal- cial Security and the Immigration and Natu- of Ratification to NATO enlargement. lot’’ should be a wakeup call for Amer- ralization Service. If they couldn’t verify It is appropriate at this time to inform ica’s citizens. Sadly, we can no longer citizenship, the voter would have to prove my colleagues of my intention to offer assume public officials tasked with his or her status or risk being dropped from a condition to the Resolution of Ratifi- protecting your vote are able to do so. the rolls. The program included privacy pro- cation when it comes to the Senate for The fact is, passage of the Motor Voter tections and a requirement that it be ‘‘uni- debate linking NATO expansion with form, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance Act has led to growing incidences of with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.’’ economic expansion. I am pleased to be election fraud in communities large This sensible and sensitive proposal joined in this effort by the senior Sen- and small, and the problem is getting doesn’t unduly trample on immigrant rights. ator from Virginia, Senator WARNER. worse all the time. Almost half the states already ask for all or The former Majority Leader, Howard The editorial highlights an impor- part of the Social Security number to reg- Baker, Jr., our colleague Sam Nunn, tant new national organization, the ister to vote. But Democrats, fresh from Ms. Brent Scowcroft, and Alton Frye re- Voting Integrity Project (VIP), which Sanchez’s triumph, practically accused Rep. cently wrote an article for The New Horn of reinventing the poll tax and literacy York Times in which they assert that was formed in 1996 in response to the tests of the Jim Crow era. ‘‘It is a shame, it growing abuses highlighted by the is a disgrace,’’ said Rep. John Lewis, a vet- ‘‘Linking NATO expansion to the ex- Journal. VIP is a non-profit, non-par- eran of the civil rights movement. pansion of the European Union would tisan coalition of citizens and civic In the end, the bill won a 210–200 majority, underscore the connection between Eu- groups. It organizes and trains citizens but it failed because it was brought to the rope’s security and its economy—and to protect the integrity of the vote in floor under a rule requiring a two-thirds ma- offer certification that entrants to their own community. It also inves- jority, Rep. Horn hopes to have a vote under NATO could afford to meet its defense tigates and litigates important elec- normal rules within a month. He points to a obligations.’’ growing body of evidence that the potential It is our contention that Poland, tion fraud cases, including constitu- for vote fraud is growing, noting some in the tional issues. It is the only inde- shadow of the U.S. Capitol itself. Hungary, and the Czech Republic face pendent, national organization per- In Washington, D.C. an astonishing one of no security threats, so strengthening forming this important work. every six registered voters can’t be reached their economies and democratic insti- Mr. President, VIP has learned that at their address of record. The city has lost tutions should be their first priority. it is nearly impossible to overturn 100,000 people since 1980, but registration has All three of the candidates are eager elections once they have been certified shot up to 86% of eligible voters from only to join the European Union (EU), which 58%. Nationally, the average registration and places its emphasis accordingly, in has now decided to begin accession ne- rate is only 66%. Felons, dead people, non- gotiations with them. NATO’s decision pro-active programs run by the citizens residents and fictitious registrations clog themselves. Indeed, American voters the rolls in Washington, where anyone can at Madrid to invite these countries to need to wake up to the harsh reality of walk up and vote without showing I.D. negotiate for membership preceded the today’s election process and begin to Across the Potomac River in Virginia, EU offer to negotiate accession. The equip themselves, through organiza- Robert Beers, the voter registrar of pros- EU’s offer affords the Senate an oppor- tions such as VIP, to guard the sanc- perous Fairfax County, says the Motor Voter tunity to lend support to these coun- law has increased the number of registered tity of their communities’ elections tries’ bid for EU membership, without voters, but turnout has actually fallen in re- accepting any presumption that entry and their vote. cent elections. ‘‘There is no question in my I ask that the text of the editorial be mind that we have registered people who into the EU guarantees admission to printed in the RECORD. aren’t U.S. citizens,’’ Mr. Beers told the NATO. The editorial follows: Washington Times. ‘‘Nobody worries about A provision to link admission to [From the Wall Street Journal, Mar. 2, 1998] the rolls until you get to the election that’s NATO with admission to the EU will decided by three votes. I wish they would encourage expeditious negotiations by SANCTITY OF THE BALLOT pay attention to it before it gets to that the EU, and will allow the three coun- In a rush to make it as easy as possible for point.’’ He is backing a state bill to require tries to concentrate their full resources citizens to exercise their right to vote, the voters to show some type of photo I.D. on economic modernization, rather country has created lax registration and vot- Last month Mississippi’s legislature passed ing procedures that could call into question a motor voter law, but Governor Kirk than diverting precious resources to a close election any number of states. The Fordice issued a veto because it lacked a military expenditures. 1983 federal Motor Voter law requires states voter I.D. provision. ‘‘Vote fraud is an equal I ask that the text of the condition to allow people to register to vote when they opportunity election stealer,’’ he says. His be printed in the RECORD. get a driver’s license, even though 47 states concerns about improper registrations are The text of the condition follows: don’t require proof of legal US residence echoed elsewhere. The Miami Herald has At the end of section of the resolution much less citizenship for such a license. ‘‘We found that 105 ballots in last year’s disputed (relating to conditions), add the following: have the modern world’s sloppiest electoral mayoral election were cast by felons. Last () DEFERRAL OF RATIFICATION OF NATO EN- system,’’ warns political scientist Walter month a local grand jury concluded that LARGEMENT UNTIL ADMISSION OF POLAND, HUN- Dean Burnham. ‘‘absentee ballot fraud clearly played an im- GARY, AND CZECH REPUBLIC TO THE EUROPEAN Media and political elites pooh-pooh such portant part in the recent City of Miami UNION.— concerns, but they are genuine and growing. elections.’’ This ‘‘called into question the le- (A) PROHIBITION.—The President shall not The House of Representatives has just dis- gitimacy of the results.’’ deposit the United States instrument of rati- missed an election challenge by former Rep. In San Francisco, the Voting Integrity fication prior to the latest date by which Po- Bob Dornan of California.