A battle is brewing on Capitol Hill as the Republicans attempt to use the budget process to foil the Democrat plan to allow illegal immigrants to vote in the upcoming election. They’re willing to support bills to continue funding the government at current levels as long as the voting rules in the SAVE Act are included.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require proof of citizenship from those registering to vote, as well as identification at the polls. “Federal law currently prohibits states from being able to check citizenship when they register voters,” said Texas Rep. Chip Roy, the bill’s sponsor. “The SAVE Act would fix it.“
According to the Congressman, “President Trump is correct. He wants to attach it to a funding bill in September. We just now need all Republicans to get behind it and jam it down the throats of Democrats who are more interested in perpetuating their scheme of pulling in voters for Democrats than standing up for citizen-only voting.”
The gamesmanship comes as the federal government will run out of money September 30 and could shut down if a spending deal is not reached. Roy’s deal would keep the money flowing until a new president takes office, but it must include the SAFE Act.
Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who opposes the SAFE Act, are in a heated battle for the Oval Office, with illegal immigration playing a central role in the contest. Looking to take advantage of amnesty, free healthcare, and other political plums promised by Harris, the immigrants are seen as dependable votes for the Democrats. Trump, on the other hand, wants to conduct a mass deportation of the aliens let in under the Biden administration.
“Democrats say, ‘But, Chip, it's not a problem. It's already against the law for noncitizens to vote in federal elections,’” Roy said. “That is technically true, but what they don't go on to tell you is that federal law has been interpreted by courts to restrict the ability of states to take the documentary proof of citizenship.”
Voter registration rules in Blue States such as New York encourage immigrants to vote, making enrollment forms available when government services such as welfare and health coverage are requested. Applicants need only to check a box declaring they are a citizen to register.
Getting the names of potential voters onto the election rolls is central to Democrat plans to flood the election with paper ballots, which then can be harvested with the names of the registered aliens attached, fair election advocates charge. Proving citizenship and presenting ID will limit voter fraud, they say.
“Contrary to Vice President Kamala Harris’ assertion that Voter ID laws are designed to disenfranchise voters, these laws are about safeguarding the sanctity of our votes and ensuring that every legitimate ballot is counted fairly and accurately,” said Long Island Congressman Nick LaLota, who served for seven years as a commissioner with the Suffolk Board of Elections. “In our pursuit of a more secure and transparent electoral process, let us remember that ensuring every vote is valid and every voter’s identity is confirmed is not just a matter of policy but a matter of preserving the trust and integrity of our democracy.”
Republicans have acquiesced to Democrat spending packages since the beginning of the Biden administration, funding the government through a series of continuing resolutions rather than budget bills that go through a committee process. Although the GOP holds the edge in the House, they have continued to approve budget packages favored by the Democrats. Attaching the SAVE Act to the continuing resolution and taking the impasse all the way to a government shutdown puts the issue front and center, but many Republicans are hesitant to take such a stand, especially with their re-elections looming.