The House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Wednesday, a measure that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Five Democrats—Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Jared Golden (D-ME), Don Davis (D-NC), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)—sided with Republicans to pass the bill with 221 votes, but a whopping 198 Democrats opposed it.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was quick to point out the implications. “Today, 198 House Democrats voted against preventing illegal aliens from voting in American elections,” Johnson stated. “Over the past four years, Joe Biden has welcomed millions upon millions of illegals into the country knowing that noncitizens only have to check a box to vote in a federal election.”
He didn’t mince words about the Democrats’ intentions either. “We have long known this was an intentional effort to turn them into voters, and now the American people know where every member of Congress stands on this critically important issue,” he added. “House Republicans believe that only Americans should vote in American elections. House Democrats have now proven they believe that illegal aliens should vote in American elections.”
Johnson, who released a report last month supporting the SAVE Act, argued that current laws to prevent illegal immigrants from voting are ineffective. “We have so many non-citizens in the country right now that if only one out of 100 of those illegal aliens voted, you’re talking about hundreds of thousands of votes being cast,” Johnson said in a floor speech.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where it’s unlikely to pass. Even if it did, the White House has already expressed strong opposition to the legislation. So, don’t hold your breath for any real change coming from this one. The fight over who gets to vote in our elections is far from over, and it looks like the usual gridlock will keep this bill from becoming law.
