WASHINGTON, May 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order launching a commission to review alleged voter fraud led by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach:

“The president has issued an executive order to establish a commission to examine ‘voter fraud.’ The only problem with that proposal is that there is virtually no voter fraud in this country. In other words, the idea that significant amounts of voter fraud exist is itself a fraud. The sole purpose of this commission is to propagate a myth and to give encouragement to Republican governors and state legislators to increase voter suppression.

“At a time when we already have one of the lowest voter turnouts of any major country, Republicans are working overtime trying to make it harder for poor people, people of color, older people and young people to vote. Our job is to fight back and make it easier for people to vote, not harder. Our job is to bring millions of young people and working people into the political process and create a government which works for all of us, not just the 1 percent.”