As the country has been flooded with millions of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration, Republicans have voiced concerns about election integrity, arguing that measures should be put in place to ensure that only American citizens are voting. However, House Democrats have spearheaded an effort to vote against a GOP-led election bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
House Republicans introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, that would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require states to obtain proof of citizenship from voters for federal elections. The bill would further purge noncitizens from voter rolls. Democrats have argued that trying to ensure that noncitizens don’t infringe upon a right exclusively granted to U.S. citizens would place “an extreme burden [on] countless Americans.”
“As we’ve seen a number of times this Congress, House Republicans continue to irresponsibly call into question the credibility of our elections. Despite numerous recounts, challenges in court, and deep-dives by conservative think-tanks, there has been zero evidence of the widespread fraud that this bill purports to target. It is already illegal under current law for noncitizens to register to vote or to vote in federal elections,” the office of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) stated in a “whip question.”
Nonetheless, Republican leadership has emphasized the importance of the bill, urging its passage. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) argued in a thread on X highlighting the benefits of legislation that “the SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections.” He explained that the SAVE Act will validate that voters are American citizens who are legally permitted to vote, while also making it easier to register to vote.
Johnson further states that the act “provides states with access to federal agency databases so they can remove noncitizens from voter rolls and confirm citizenship for individuals lacking proof of citizenship….Directs DHS to determine whether to conduct removal proceedings if a noncitizen has been identified as having registered to vote in federal elections….Requires DHS to notify a state chief election official whenever an individual has been naturalized to ensure our newest citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the bill in May alongside Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who championed the Senate’s companion bill. The efforts from the GOP lawmakers have been met with widespread support throughout the Republican Party amid concerns around election integrity. Speaker Johnson touted the initiatives during a press conference with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
“Secure elections are a key cornerstone for any representative government; without them, we won’t have a country. Radical progressive Democrats know this and are using open border policies while also attacking election integrity laws to fundamentally remake America. That’s why I am proud to introduce the SAVE Act with Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues, along with the invaluable support of citizens and organizations that recognize we must end the practice of non-citizens voting in our elections,” Roy stated.
Johnson added, “While falsely claiming the 2016 election was ‘stolen’ due to ‘foreign election interference,’ Democrats ignore the real threat of foreign election interference posed when noncitizens are allowed to register and vote in U.S. elections. Lax voter registration laws make it possible for noncitizens to register and vote in federal elections while campaign finance loopholes allow noncitizens to fund U.S. election activities – both of which can affect the outcome of our elections.”
Speaker Mike Johnson recently hosted a press conference which touched on invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden from office following concerns about the state of his mental health after the debate against former President Donald Trump. Johnson urged the president’s cabinet to perform an honest assessment of Biden. Watch his comments below:
Featured image credit: By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – Mike Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=139920652
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