FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate are renewing the push to crack down on noncitizen voting in federal elections, reintroducing a bipartisan bill that was repeatedly touted by the Republican Party last year.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, reintroduce the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actwhich ensures that non-citizens cannot vote in federal elections.
Although only citizens can vote in federal elections, Republicans have argued that it is impossible to enforce this because non-citizens do illegal immigrants are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits in states, which can lead to them being registered to vote.
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During early voting, people arrive to cast their votes. (Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The bill requires states to obtain personal proof of U.S. citizenship and identity when registering an individual to vote. It also requires states to establish a program to remove noncitizens from voter rolls and allows citizens to file lawsuits against officials who fail to comply with the law.
The bill was passed in the House last yearwith five Democrats voting in favor but deadlocked in the Senate – where the Democrat-controlled chamber passed a spending bill without including the SAVE Act, as Republicans had hoped. President Biden had promised to veto the bill.
The bill has become increasingly important among Republicans amid a surge of migrants to the U.S. during the Biden administration, as well as recent announcements from states that they had identified thousands of noncitizens on their lists.
But now Republicans control the Senate and soon the White House, where President-elect Trump has expressed support for legislation to prevent non-citizens from voting.
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“Republicans need to pass the Save Act or go home and cry yourselves to sleep,” he said in July.
Roy, who is introducing the bill in the House of Representatives along with Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, said, “American elections belong to American citizens, and public trust in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic.”
“We in Congress have a duty to our fellow citizens to provide that trust. We must have concrete enforcement mechanisms in place to ensure that our elections and our sovereignty cannot be hijacked and influenced by foreigners who are not allowed to vote in this country.” he said.
Rep. Chip Roy nominates Rep. Jim Jordan as speaker before the third round of voting in the House chamber on January 3, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“The House of Representatives passed this critical, bipartisan bill last year – we need to do it again. I look forward to working with the Republican Senate to put these policies on President Trump’s desk,” he said.
Lee said public confidence in election integrity is “absolutely essential to the legitimacy of our democratic institutions.”
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“A large majority of our fellow Americans agree: only American citizens should be able to register and vote in American elections. The SAVE Act gives states the ability to prevent illegal voter registration and protect the ballot box from foreign election interference,” he said.
Garbarino, meanwhile, criticized New York City for ignoring the principle that American citizens decide their elections by allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.
“The SAVE Act maintains the integrity of our elections by requiring proof of citizenship to vote, ensuring that this fundamental right is reserved exclusively for American citizens,” he said.
The bill also has support from groups like the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, Tea Party Patriots Action and the Immigration Accountability Project. It has 59 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives on Friday and is expected to be introduced in the Senate next week.
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The bill comes as Congress is expected to consider immigration-related issues as a top priority. The House of Representatives approved the proposal on Tuesday Laken Riley Lawwhich would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants found guilty of theft-related crimes. It would also allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm done to their citizens as a result of illegal immigration.
Julia Johnson and Liz Elkind of Fox News contributed to this report.
