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Civil rights activists and Democratic secretaries of state spoke to lawmakers Tuesday at a Democratic forum on President Trump's election commission(Photo: Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY)

WASHINGTON On the eve of the first meeting of President Trumps voter fraud commission, Democrats and civil rights groups were busy trying to get Congress to pull the plug on the group.

Democrats hosted a forum on Capitol Hill on Tuesday,one of several efforts in recent weeks to block Trumps new commission, which is slated to hold its firstmeeting Wednesdayin Washington.

Our democracy is under siege," saidRep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, a former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. We know that race trumps all. We are being attacked by the White House ...There is no democracy in the world that tries to keep people from votingbut this one.

A coalition of civil rights and voting rights groups, including some from the hip hop music community, plan to hold a rally outside the White House on Wednesday morning to protest the group.

Trump set up the commission to study allegations of voter fraud in last years presidential election. Trump claims last years election included up to 3 million to 5 million fraudulent voters.

Supporters of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity,' mostly Republicans, said it will look at practices that undermine confidence in federal elections, including rampant voter fraud.

The presidents committed to the thorough review of registration and voting issues in federal elections, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said earlier this year.

Top Democrats on key committees, including Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, also wrote a letter Tuesday to Vice President Pence asking him to remove Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach as the commissions vice chairman and to drop the groups recent request to state election officials for detailed voter information.

Thompson, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and others told Pence they were worried the request for voter data would undermine the integrity of the commission. They said they were alsoconcerned the commission could be used a tool for voter suppression."

The right to vote is at the foundation of our nations democracy, said Conyers, who led theforum. We cannot stand idly by while this most precious right that so many have fought and died for is attacked by the head of our own government."

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Tuesday's forum featured voting rights activists and Democratic state election officials who called the commission a sham and said it should be disbanded. They said the commission is determined to restrict more voter access to the polls.

This commission is just getting started,"said Wade Henderson, former head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of about 200 civil rights groups. Its abundantly clear that we must be vigilant about its actions every step of the way."

In recent weeks, several voting rights groups have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the commission among other things.

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, whose group was among those filing a lawsuit, complained the commissions work has been shrouded in secrecy.

The right to vote is sacred, but is clearly under attack, Clarke said Tuesday.

The Democratic National Committee recently set up its own commission to counter Trumps panel.

Last week, several Democrats including Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Mazie Hirono of Hawaiiintroduced a bill to block funding for the commission. They acknowledge it doesnt stand a chance in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Still, said Booker, It would be highly irresponsible for senators or congressional members to remain silent.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, discuss their bill that would block funding for President Trump's election commission.(Photo: Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY)

Dozens of Democratic and Republican state election officials have refused to comply with all or part of the commissions request to provider voter information. The commission put the request on hold as it faces legal challenges.

David Becker, who heads the Center for Election for Election Innovation and Research and has been working with voter files for a decade, saidWednesday's meeting is an opportunity for the commission to explain, at the most basic level, what its mission is.

Most of the commissioners have been absolutely silent, he said. Part of that is because theres a significant number of them who dont have any experience or know anything about election administration at all.

Contributing: Heidi Przybyla, USA TODAY

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