Democrats spent eight years feigning outrage about foreign election interference because they falsely claim it led to Donald Trump’s election. But 198 House Democrats voted against a bill on Wednesday that would help keep foreign nationals from interfering in American elections by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Five Democrats joined Republicans in the vote of 221 to 198. Four Republicans and 10 Democrats did not take part in the voting.
Republicans introduced the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act that would amend the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to make documentary proof of citizenship a requirement for voter registration. The 1993 law enables driver’s license applicants to register to vote through state motor vehicle agencies. While registrants must attest to their citizenship status by checking a box under penalty of perjury, there is no enforcement mechanism.
Democrats contest the legislation is useless since noncitizen voting is already illegal, with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark urging Democrats to “VOTE NO” on the bill earlier this week, as Axios reported. Democrats ran with this line during a floor debate on Wednesday.
“It is against the law for noncitizens to register to vote and to vote in federal elections,” Democratic New York Rep. Joseph Morelle insisted.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “it is the state of the law that only citizens can vote in federal elections.”
“We know that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections,” Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell added. “Under current law,
