Most of us do not know what “draining the swamp” may entail, but eliminating a federal agency or two could certainly be part of the process.
Latest Agency Being Targeted
The first one up: the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Most Americans, including many federal employees, are probably not aware of this agency. It is an agency of about 30 employees. Their average salary was about $124,438 in fiscal year 2015 according to data from FedsDataCenter.com.
The Commission was created by The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. Its purpose is to make sweeping reforms to the nation’s voting process in the wake of the 2000 presidential election.
Action on the Bill to Eliminate EAC
HR 634 would terminate the agency. The House Administration Committee voted on Tuesday to send the bill to the full House. The committee vote was 6-3 along party lines.
It is unknown if the bill, titled “Eliminating the Election Assistance Commission,” will receive a vote in the full House. But, on a related note, the vote on the bill occurred after President Trump promised to create a panel for investigating election fraud.
Returning Functions to the FEC
The bill would return to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) some of the functions currently assigned to the Election Assistance Commission. The FEC is an agency of more than 330 employees with an average salary of $105,398 – somewhat less than the EAC. The termination date for the EAC would be the first date following the expiration of the 60-day period that starts on the date the bill is enacted.
