Dem pushes to defund Trump’s voter fraud commission

A Democratic lawmaker has introduced an amendment to an upcoming government spending bill that would defund President Trump's controversial commission on voter fraud.

Rep. Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffStrzok's lawyer accuses GOP of mischaracterizing his testimony Overnight Defense: Defense spending bill amendments target hot-button issues | Space Force already facing hurdles | Senators voice 'deep' concerns at using military lawyers on immigration cases Rubio heckled by protestors outside immigration detention facility MORE (D-Calif.) announced the amendment in a press release this week that accuses the panel co-chaired by Vice President Pence of "appearing to lay the groundwork for a push to place new restrictions on voting that disproportionately disadvantages minority voters."

"This commission is an effort to validate the President’s repeated and baseless claim that millions of fraudulent ballots were cast in the 2016 election, and I fear it lays the groundwork for new efforts to make it more difficult to vote across the country," Schiff said in the statement.

"Congress should put an end to this charade before it can do additional damage by agreeing to this amendment, and we should instead enact measures that make voting more accessible for all eligible Americans."

Schiff introduced the proposal as an amendment to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which Congress is set to consider in September. It is unlikely to go very far, as it would need GOP support.

Trump ordered the creation of the voter fraud commission in May after he claimed, without evidence, that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonTrump tweets video montage of people saying he couldn't win presidency Baseless attacks on Robert Mueller must end to protect our democracy Ex-NATO commander: Trump right to demand NATO members pay more for defense MORE only won the popular vote last November due to "millions" of illegal votes. Critics like Schiff have accused the panel of attempting to suppress voter turnout.

In July, the commission raised alarm bells among Democrats when it requested voter roll data from every state. That request was met with ridicule from state officials around the country, including Mississippi’s GOP secretary of state, who told the commission it could "go jump in the Gulf of Mexico."