Moderate Democrats want to stop noncitizens from voting in US elections.
Two moderate House Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, are leading a bipartisan effort to crack down on noncitizens voting in U.S. elections. They have joined forces with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Andrew Garbarino to introduce legislation just months before the November presidential election.
It is noteworthy that the support of these two Democrat lawmakers is significant, as a recent bill to repeal Washington, D.C.’s policy allowing noncitizens to vote faced strong opposition from the progressive left but ultimately passed with the backing of 52 Democrats.
In a more recent development, House GOP leaders pushed through a bill earlier this month that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process. This legislation, supported by former President Trump, received bipartisan support but has not yet been taken up by the Senate.
Republicans have pointed fingers at the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies, attributing them to the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some have even expressed concerns that these policies could potentially lead to illegal immigrants participating in American elections.
Rep. Jared Golden emphasized the importance of citizenship in his statement, saying, “Across the world, the awesome and exclusive rights of citizens are intrinsically linked to equally awesome and exclusive responsibilities. You cannot have one without the other. So, this bill also affirms that no matter where you live in our country, the right to vote in the United States is a right reserved for citizens alone.”
Similarly, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez stressed the need to uphold the constitutional ideal that decisions affecting the country should be made by its citizens. She stated, “We need to uphold the constitutional ideal that decisions made for our country are made by citizens of our country – and this bipartisan legislation will protect the integrity of Americans’ choices at the ballot box.”
The new bill not only prohibits states from allowing noncitizens to vote in federal elections (which is already illegal), but it also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that permit noncitizens to vote in state and local elections.
In addition to addressing noncitizen voting, the legislation seeks to expand voting access for American citizens by requiring states to allow voters who are not affiliated with a political party to participate in primary elections. Currently, some states only conduct “closed primaries,” where only registered members of a particular party can take part in that party’s primary election.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the driving force behind the bill, stated, “This commonsense reform is not political or controversial. It ensures every U.S. citizen, regardless of political affiliation, has the unequivocal right to vote while reinforcing election integrity by strictly prohibiting non-citizens from participating in taxpayer-funded elections.”
It is clear that the issue of noncitizens voting in U.S. elections is a matter of significant concern for lawmakers across party lines. As the debate continues, the focus remains on safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process and upholding the rights and responsibilities of American citizens.
