(LibertySons.org) – Congress passed a bill in 1996 making it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Former President Bill Clinton (D) signed the measure into law. Those found to violate the law become ineligible for visas and are deportable. While that law still holds true today, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and a few other lawmakers announced new upcoming legislation re-addressing the issue.
On May 8, the speaker held a press conference to announce the introduction of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. While he noted that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, he claimed there are no safeguards in place to prevent them from doing so. Johnson outlined four things he believes are true, besides the absence of what he referred to as a “mechanism” to ensure only US citizens vote.
The speaker’s other reasons included his claim that President Joe Biden has “welcomed millions and millions of illegal aliens” into the US and that localities across the country are making it difficult for noncitizens to know whether they can vote or not. Johnson also asserted that “Democrats have expressed a desire to turn non-citizens into voters.”
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) also backed the initiative, making their own announcements about the move. A good number of Republicans, at least in the House, appeared to back the measure. Support in the Senate is unclear.
The bill amends the National Voter Registration Act, requiring voters to prove their US citizenship and identity in person when registering to vote. It also calls on states to remove any noncitizens from voter rolls and allows US citizens to bring civil suits against election officials who don’t follow citizenship proof requirements.
There is no defined timeline for when the measure will be considered, as Johnson didn’t take any questions following the press conference.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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