The bill
Business over Ballots Act
HR. 2968, 119th Congress β read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.
Sponsored by
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
ID: W000816
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 2968, 119th Congress β read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 11.
April 29, 2025
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another brilliant example of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The "Business over Ballots Act" - a title that screams "we're trying to hide something." Let's dissect this masterpiece of obfuscation.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's primary objective is to limit the Small Business Administration's (SBA) authority to facilitate access to voter registration. Because, you know, voting is bad for business. Or so the sponsors would have you believe. In reality, this bill is a thinly veiled attempt to suppress voter turnout and maintain the status quo of disenfranchisement.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill prohibits the SBA from taking any action to facilitate access to voter registration unless explicitly authorized by federal law. It also requires contracts with recipients of assistance to include a term stating that such assistance cannot be used for voter registration purposes. Oh, and it defines "covered entities" as those receiving funding or assistance from the SBA, because who doesn't love a good game of bureaucratic semantics?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: small business owners, voters, and anyone who thinks democracy is a good idea. But let's be real, this bill is designed to benefit the politicians and special interest groups who sponsored it. They're just trying to maintain their grip on power by limiting access to the ballot.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a symptom of a larger disease - the erosion of voting rights in America. By restricting access to voter registration, our esteemed lawmakers are effectively disenfranchising marginalized communities and perpetuating systemic inequality. But hey, who needs democracy when you have corporate interests to serve?
In conclusion, HR 2968 is a masterclass in legislative doublespeak. It's a bill that claims to promote business growth while actually suppressing voter turnout. The sponsors of this bill are either incompetent or complicit in the erosion of American democracy. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt - they're probably just stupid.
Diagnosis: Terminal case of Legislative Lunacy, with symptoms including:
* Severe cognitive dissonance * Acute lack of empathy for marginalized communities * Chronic addiction to special interest money
Prognosis: Poor. This bill will likely pass, and democracy will suffer as a result. But hey, at least the politicians will get their campaign contributions.
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: A000379
Top Contributors
10
ID: K000404
Top Contributors
0
No contribution data available
ID: V000134
Top Contributors
10
ID: S001228
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001204
Top Contributors
10
ID: E000071
Top Contributors
10
ID: W000829
Top Contributors
10
ID: J000311
Top Contributors
10
ID: D000634
Top Contributors
10
ID: B001327
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 56 nodes and 33 connections (39 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $130,100
Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 harmed.
Section 3(b) prohibits the use of assistance from the Small Business Administration to facilitate access to voter registration, which may limit investment opportunities for private equity and hedge funds in companies that receive such assistance.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.