House lawmakers voted 262-143 to pass a bill that would repeal a law allowing foreigners to vote in local elections in Washington, DC.
52 Democrats participated. strong group of republicans Despite passing HR 192, the bill has not been taken up in the Senate, much less expected to be signed by President Biden.
“Allowing noncitizens, including illegal aliens and foreign agents, to vote in elections weakens the voting power of national voters,” said Representative August Pflueger (R-Texas). Who proposed this bill?.
The vote came just days before Washington, D.C.’s June 4 primary election.
The District of Columbia Council approved the Local Voting Rights Amendment Act in 2022, paving the way for noncitizens who are residents of the nation’s capital to vote in local elections starting in 2024.
The law only applies to local elections; foreigners are strictly prohibited from voting in federal elections.
In March, A federal court upheld the law Following challenges from several Washington voters.
“Under no circumstances should anyone other than the American people decide America’s elections,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said in a statement Thursday.
“The D.C. City Council’s radical policy of giving non-citizens the power to decide local elections is un-American and dilutes the constitutional rights of D.C. residents.”
Article 1, Section 8, Section 17 The Constitution gives Congress permission to The power to “exercise exclusive legislation in all cases” over the federal regions.
Under the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973, the City Council has certain powers, but Congress retains the power to block local legislation.
Congress hadn’t blocked a D.C. bill in more than 30 years, but last year it broke that record by overturning the 2022 Penal Code Amendment, which eased penalties for some felonies, including armed robbery.
In that case, Biden voted in favor of the bill, even though he had initially threatened to veto it.
Washington, D.C. is not the only municipality to allow foreign nationals to vote in local elections. Several cities in California, Vermont, and Maryland have acknowledged this as well.
“On the contrary, 143 Democrats voted today to allow Russian spies, Chinese diplomats, and illegal immigrants to influence elections in our nation’s capital. Shameful,” Johnson added. .
Some Democrats publicly defended their votes against the bill.
“At the local level, everyone has basically the same interests in things like efficient garbage collection and good public schools,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
Last year, the House of Representatives Similar legislation was introduced To block efforts by Washington, D.C., to allow foreign nationals to participate in local elections.
However, the bill never materialized because the Democratic-controlled Senate refused to consider it.
