WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today expressed his opposition to S.1, the “For the People Act,” at the Senate Rules Committee markup.

“This is a massive takeover of what the Constitution anticipates should be state decisions,” Wicker said.

Among several other burdensome changes this legislation would impose on state election systems, Wicker pointed to a provision in S.1 that would change the structure of the traditionally nonpartisan Federal Election Commission (FEC) and give a majority vote to the party of the President.

“If anything should be totally nonpartisan, it should be the Federal Election Commission, which resolves so many disputes,” Wicker said. “The American people will lose confidence in a Federal Election Commission that has a three-to-two majority for the president’s party.”

In his statement, Wicker also pointed to a provision in S.1 requiring voting districts to be drawn by federal courts.

“It’s interesting that our friends on the Democratic side spent millions of dollars in the last election trying to retake legislatures, so they could take over redistricting of key states,” Wicker said. “Having failed at that, here comes this provision.”

Wicker is joining Senate Republicans in introducing multiple amendments to strip S.1 of its problematic provisions before it is considered by the full Senate in the coming weeks.