Most House Democrats supported a proposal on Tuesday that would allow non-citizens to vote in elections in Washington, D.C. This decision came as the House of Representatives passed a bill, introduced by Republican August Pfluger from Texas, which aims to ban such voting practices in non-U.S. capitals. The bill was approved with a vote of 266-148, where 56 Democrats sided with Republicans to pass the measure, while one Democrat voted “present,” and 148 opposed it.
In discussing the bill, Pfluger expressed concerns about federal overreach but highlighted Congress’s authority over Washington, D.C. He seemed apprehensive about the implications of allowing non-citizens to vote, stating, “In this case, they went too far.”
In 2022, the progressive city council in D.C. had already passed the Voting Rights Amendment Act, enabling non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections after residing in the district for at least 30 days. This law allows non-citizens to also hold certain local office positions.
Local measures like these have faced significant scrutiny from the GOP, particularly with concerns about the influence of foreign agents participating in elections. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida who opposed the bill, downplayed these fears as exaggerated. He suggested that Republicans only bring such issues to the forefront when it serves their political agenda and undermines the rights of D.C. residents.
Frost further argued that the claim of foreign authorities voting in D.C. elections is highly unlikely and pointed out that D.C. lacks jurisdiction on federal matters. Pfluger had previously indicated a cautious optimism about receiving some Democratic support, noting that 52 Democrats had voted in favor of a similar bill in the last Congress, although it never reached the Senate.
He voiced his concerns about potential foreign influence, mentioning, “This could be staff of a Russian embassy… that’s wrong. It’s against the structure of our society.”
In addition to this discussion, another bill passed on Tuesday aims to provide protections for the D.C. police regarding liability, allowing them to negotiate punishments through collective bargaining and establishing restrictions on metropolitan police stations. This legislation was introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino.
