Biden Admin Opposes Citizenship Proof for Voting Bill

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – The Biden administration stated it is opposed to the Republicans’ proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, stating the bill that requires proof of citizenship to vote would “make it much harder” for eligible citizens to vote.

Introduced in the House in May by Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy and in the Senate by Utah Sen. Mike Lee, the bill would require voters, before voting in federal elections, to provide proof of citizenship such as a valid photo ID, military ID, government-issued photo ID showing the individual was born in the U.S., and a birth certificate.

According to the Biden administration, there are already laws in place that prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections that “are working as intended.” They called it “extraordinarily rare for noncitizens” to vote in federal elections. They claim the proposed legislation “would do nothing to safeguard our elections,” adding that eligible voters could be purged from the voter rolls because of the bill.

In a “whip question,” the office of House Minority Whip, Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, wrote that “Democrats are urged to VOTE NO” on the bill.

Despite the objection from the Biden administration and Democrats, House Republicans want to hold a vote on the legislation.

In a 22-page report in June, House Speaker, Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson urged the House to pass the bill, claiming there was “irrefutable evidence” noncitizens have illegally voted in federal elections.

Passing the bill would mean that “only American citizens vote in federal elections,” Johnson wrote in a July post on Twitter.

On July 10, he called the upcoming House vote on the bill a “generation-defining moment.” He added that “a fraction of a fraction” of illegal immigrants voting “might potentially change all of our races.”

While the Democratic-controlled Senate is unlikely to take up the bill, a vote in the Republican-controlled House would allow Republicans to bring attention to the border and election security, two of their central election issues.