An old video of Chuck Schumer (D-NY) defending identification requirements as a commonsense protection against fraud has resurfaced at an especially awkward time for the Senate Democratic leader. In the 1996 footage, Schumer points to driver’s licenses and Social Security cards as ordinary documents used to establish identity and eligibility. He also warns that illegal immigrants can obtain jobs and government benefits through fraud. The remarks are now following him as he works to defeat Republican legislation requiring proof of citizenship and identification in federal elections.
The footage dates back to Schumer’s years in the House of Representatives, when he spoke in support of an anti-fraud amendment involving employment and public benefits. Schumer argued that lawmakers needed to recognize how identification documents were already being used throughout American life. He presented document verification as a practical enforcement measure and criticized the failure to stop fraud that allowed people to obtain jobs and benefits unlawfully.
The video resurfaced amid the battle over the SAVE America Act, which Schumer has attacked as an effort to suppress voters and undermine democracy. The legislation would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering for federal elections and identification when casting a ballot. Schumer’s opposition has placed renewed attention on the far more direct position he took when he argued that official documents were an effective response to fraud.
RNC Research posted the old footage showing Schumer making that case on the House floor. “Let’s admit the truth. Everywhere people go, they’re asked for a Social Security card,” Schumer said. He then pointed to the identification documents commonly requested from Americans seeking employment. “In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card.”
Schumer did not describe the requirement as unreasonable or burdensome. He presented the proposal as straightforward. “This is an anti-fraud amendment,” he said. The New York Democrat then connected the fraud problem directly to illegal immigration. “All over where we go, people say, ‘Well, why can’t you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?’” Schumer said. He explained that the inability to verify identity and eligibility allowed people to receive benefits they were not legally entitled to obtain.
“The number one answer we give our constituents is: when they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,” Schumer continued. His remarks left no uncertainty about his position at the time. Fraud was allowing illegal immigrants to obtain employment and benefits, and document verification was a necessary part of stopping it.
Schumer is now leading Senate Democratic opposition to the SAVE America Act. Following President Donald Trump’s July 16 election-security address, Schumer accused Trump of attempting to “rig the midterms” and “undermine democracy.” He also declared that the Republican-backed election bill would not advance under his leadership, saying, “The SAVE Act isn’t going anywhere. Period.”
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The SAVE America Act requires applicants to provide evidence of American citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It also contains identification requirements for in-person voting and procedures for verifying voters who cast absentee ballots. Schumer has portrayed those provisions as a threat to voting rights despite his earlier argument that asking people to produce identification was a routine and effective safeguard against fraud.
Watch the resurfaced footage here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.