House Democrats have launched a concerted effort to vote down a Republican-backed election bill that would require voters to show proof of citizenship to cast a ballot in federal elections.
Republicans are pushing for the Protecting American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, which would change national voter registration laws to require states to obtain proof of citizenship from federal voters and purge non-citizens from voter rolls.
Democratic leaders have urged House members to vote against the bill ahead of a vote, calling it an “enormous burden.” [on] For countless Americans to vote.
“As we have seen time and time again this Congress, House Republicans continue to irresponsibly cast doubt on the integrity of our election. Despite multiple recounts, court challenges, and exhaustive research by conservative think tanks, there is simply no evidence of the widespread fraud this bill seeks to target. Under current law, it is already illegal for foreign nationals to register to vote or vote in federal elections,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s (D-Mass.) office wrote in a “seattle question,” first reported by Axios. The seattle question will round up votes over the coming weeks and outline guidelines for how House Democrats should vote.
“Democrats are urged to vote NO on HR 8281,” the House whistleblower’s question read.
Meanwhile, Republican House leadership is urging passage of the bill, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, posting on X that “The SAVE Act will protect our elections by ensuring that only American citizens vote in federal elections.”
He detailed in the X thread that if the law were to pass, it would include directives such as: “State election officials would be required to ask about citizenship before providing a voter registration form; individuals would be required to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections; state officials could accept a variety of documents that would make it easier for citizens to register to vote in federal elections; states could access federal agency databases to remove non-citizens from voter rolls and verify the citizenship of those without proof of citizenship,” and more.
The bill stipulates that voters would be required to provide proof of citizenship through identification such as a passport, a government-issued photo ID showing birth in the United States, a military ID, a valid photo ID or proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate.
Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas introduced the bill in May, and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced a companion Senate version that has garnered broad support from Republicans for ensuring election security. Johnson also famously unveiled the bill with former President Trump at a high-profile press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.
“Secure elections are a critical foundation of any representative government — our country cannot function without them. Radical Progressive Democrats know this, and they are using their open borders agenda to attack election integrity laws and fundamentally remake America. That’s why I’m proud to join Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues in introducing the SAVE Act, with the valuable support of citizens and organizations who recognize that the practice of foreign voting in our elections must end,” Roy said on May 8.
Late last month, Johnson distributed a 22-page report to House members urging them to pass the bill, arguing that there is “irrefutable evidence that non-U.S. citizens have illegally registered to vote and have illegally voted in U.S. elections.”
“Democrats falsely claim that the 2016 election was ‘stolen’ because of ‘foreign election interference,’ but ignore the real threat of foreign election interference that arises when foreign nationals are able to register and vote in U.S. elections,” Johnson wrote in the report. “Weak voter registration laws allow foreign nationals to register and vote in federal elections, while campaign finance loopholes allow foreign nationals to fund U.S. election activities, both of which can affect the outcome of elections.”
Last week, Johnson posted an X-thread in support of the bill, which drew support from Republicans and Democratic critics alike, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, who called lawmakers who voted against the bill “traitors” to the United States.
“Anyone who disagrees are traitors. TREASONABLE WITH CAPITAL LETTERS. What’s the punishment for traitors?” Elon Musk wrote in response to Johnson’s post.
The Constitution provides that traitors who commit treason can be punished by death or imprisonment for not less than five years, fined not less than $10,000, and barred from holding public office in the United States.
The bill comes as the migration crisis continues to worsen under the Biden administration, with Fox previously reporting that at least 1.6 million migrants will be designated “gotaway” between fiscal years 2021 and 2023 alone. Gottaway migrants are individuals who evade the Border Patrol.
