President Joe Biden has made it clear he intends to veto a bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, calling noncitizen voting “extraordinarily rare.” The defiant proclamation came around the same time the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday.
Supporters, including Cleta Mitchell, founder of the Election Integrity Network and co-founder of the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, describe the bill as a necessary step to ensure election integrity.
The SAVE Act: Ensuring Voter Integrity
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passed with a vote of 221 to 198, receiving support from five Democrats: Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D-Texas) and Marie Gluesenkamp (D-Wash.).
While federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, some local municipalities, such as San Francisco, Oakland, D.C. and New York City, are allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. This trend has sparked concerns about potential voter fraud with an overwhelming majority of American saying that these practices blur the lines of eligibility.
Key Provisions of the Bill
Introduced in the House by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and backed by 104 GOP cosponsors, the SAVE Act includes several measures to enforce compliance:
- Proof of Citizenship: Voter applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship before being added to voter rolls.
- Federal Database Access: States would have unfettered access to federal databases to verify citizenship status.
- DHS Involvement: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would conduct removal proceedings if noncitizens are found to have voted and notify states when a noncitizen completes the naturalization process.
Bipartisan Support and Opposition
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) highlighted the importance of the legislation during a press briefing on Tuesday, affirming, “Only American citizens are eligible to vote in American elections.”
Congressman Roy acknowledged potential criticism, even from the right, for federal intervention but argued it is essential for uniform documentation of citizenship across states.
Despite bipartisan support in the House, the Biden administration has expressed unequivocal opposition to the bill, citing existing federal laws that already make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. The administration argued in a press release that the bill would make it harder for eligible Americans to register to vote and could lead to the wrongful purging of eligible voters from voter rolls:
It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections — it is a Federal crime punishable by prison and fines. The alleged justification for this bill is based on easily disproven falsehoods. Additionally, making a false claim of citizenship or unlawfully voting in an election is punishable by removal from the United States and a permanent bar to admission. States already have effective safeguards in place to verify voters’ eligibility and maintain the accuracy of voter rolls.
This bill would do nothing to safeguard our elections, but it would make it much harder for all eligible Americans to register to vote and increase the risk that eligible voters are purged from voter rolls. The evidence is clear that the current laws to prevent noncitizen voting are working as intended — it is extraordinarily rare for noncitizens to break the law by voting in Federal elections.
Concerns About Voter Fraud
Supporters of the bill, like Mike Powell from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, maintain that noncitizen voting is a significant issue. Powell shared evidence of noncitizens registering to vote in North Carolina, suggesting a broader problem of unaccountable ballots.
The SAVE Act also aims to penalize NGOs that facilitate noncitizen voter registration, with potential criminal and civil penalties for those involved.
Public Opinion and Political Implications
A recent poll indicated that 87% of Americans, including 80% of Biden voters, believe proof of citizenship should be required to vote. House Speaker Johnson has questioned the Democratic opposition to the bill, suggesting that it reflects a desire to allow illegal immigrants to vote.
“Why are Democrats so adamantly against ensuring only American citizens vote in our elections? They want to turn illegal aliens into voters. We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent this,” Johnson posted to X.
As the debate continues, the bill’s fate in the Senate remains uncertain. Moderate Democrats may enable its passage, but significant hurdles lie ahead, including opposition from the White House.
Roy conceded that hurdles exist in the Senate and, most obviously, the White House, “but we want to make sure the record is replete.” He explained that the House Republican Conference wants to finish the job with a sympathetic administration next January.
Conclusion
President Biden’s commitment to blocking the SAVE Act underscores the contentious debate over noncitizen voting will likely continue through November.
In the meantime, states like Florida are pushing forward with continued election reforms, including constitutional amendments. However, without a new federal statute, even GOP-led states say they can’t do everything needed to ensure election integrity.
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Naturally Biden thinks anyone should be able to vote. He figures all those illegals coming across the border will vote for him because he allowed them in by refusing to secure our border.