House Democrats are belittling the House GOP‘s efforts on bills cracking down on noncitizen voting, suggesting it could be setting up for a campaign to undermine the November election.
Republicans in the lower chamber of Congress are set to bring up a slew of bills for consideration that would enshrine in law that only citizens are able to vote in elections. The first bill, HR 192, would override a local Washington law and bar noncitizens from voting in local elections, while a set of bills championed by former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) are being considered during a markup session in the House Administration Committee.
The slate of bills championed by Trump and Johnson include the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require proof of citizenship before registering to vote.
“There is currently an unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system,” Johnson said at a press conference earlier this month. “And that is the threat of noncitizens and illegal aliens voting in our elections.” At the same time, Johnson has admitted he does not have the numbers to back up that claim, saying, “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections, but it’s not been something that is easily provable.”
Illegal voting by noncitizens is relatively rare, with few instances reported in recent decades, but Republicans argue that with a surge of illegal immigrants entering the country, there is an increased threat of illegal voting. Democrats have argued the legislation is redundant and that the bills are being brought in preparation for claims Trump could make about election interference if he does not win the election in November, according to Politico.
“It’s a cynical effort to whip their supporters into a frenzy over something that doesn’t exist,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said. “I mean, it’s already illegal!”
The report notes barring noncitizens from voting in elections is popular and that it could put some Democrats in a tough spot.
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During the previous Congress, Democrats, who were in the majority at the time, pushed forward a bill that enshrined interracial and same-sex marriage in law despite both already being legal federally.
Republicans similarly accused the bill of being redundant and unnecessary, citing Supreme Court decisions on both matters, and accused Democrats of being alarmist over the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
