First appeared on FOX: Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York is reacting to the House passing the SAVE Act, which she co-sponsored, a bill that aims to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting in US elections.
““I think this bill just puts an exclamation point on the fact that up until now states have had the power to control their laws and states need to make sure their citizens can vote in elections, thus solidifying the concept of one citizen, one vote,” Tenney told Fox News Digital after the House passed the SAVE Act by a final vote of 221-198.
Just five Democrats voted in favor of the bill: Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Don Davis (D-North Carolina), and Marie Grusenkamp Perez (D-Washington).
“There is nothing more sacred and profound than the right to vote, especially in defense of our self-governing constitutional republic and democracy. Democrats may continue to talk about democracy, but nothing diminishes the value of each individual’s right to vote and the value of allowing non-citizens to vote.“ Tenney, chairman of the House Caucus for Election Integrity, told Fox News Digital.
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Rep. Claudia Tenney and other Republican lawmakers passed the SAVE Act on Wednesday. (Getty Images)
The bill would require voters to prove their citizenship with a form of identification or documentation such as a passport or government-issued photo ID proving they were born in the United States. Military ID cardThe law requires that applicants must have a valid photo ID and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
“This will be one of the most important votes any member of this Congress will ever have in their careers,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. press release before voting.
“This is a question we never thought we’d actually have to address, but the moment is here: Should the outcome of American elections be decided by Americans alone? Or should we allow foreigners and illegal immigrants to decide who sits in the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate?”
Democratic leaders urged lawmakers to vote against the bill, saying it would impose an “enormous burden.” [on] Countless Americans.”
“This is what they [Democrats] “What the Democrats continue to do is really undermine our sacred right to vote, our civil rights, and no one is more outraged by that than new citizens, people who are excited to be able to vote in a closed, free and fair election,” Tenney told Fox News Digital. “With the Democratic Party currently in such turmoil and chaos over who the leading candidate for president is, I think it sends a really terrible message if that’s their campaign strategy.”
Tenney told Fox News Digital that while he doesn’t know what the bill’s future will be in the Senate, he’s pretty confident that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “will veto the bill.”
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Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York (Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
““It is truly shameful and disgraceful as an attorney and as someone who takes an oath to uphold the New York State Constitution and the United States Constitution that Mr. Schumer would blatantly disregard our own constitutional principles and not bring an issue like this to the floor and recognize that only the people should vote in elections,” Tenney said.
Schumer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The passage of the SAVE Act drew praise from conservatives across the country, including Heritage Action for America Executive Director Ryan Walker, who told Fox News Digital in a statement that the vote was “a victory for the integrity of our elections and for all Americans.”
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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference following the Senate Democratic Caucus’ weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2024. (REUTERS/Amanda Andrade Rose/File Photo)
“Heritage Action is proud to include today’s vote results on our Legislative Scorecard because every voter has a right to know which lawmakers sat on the sidelines and allowed Joe Biden’s invasion of illegal immigrants to undermine the power of our vote,” Walker said. “Speaker Johnson was right to ask on the floor today if Democrats would support anti-voter fraud measures. Unfortunately, the answer is no. The left wants open borders and ballot boxes for illegal immigrants, while conservatives want our communities and elections secure.”
Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
