House Republicans Pass SAVE Act Amidst Democratic Outcry ‘It’s Already Illegal for Non-Citizens to Vote’
Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images file
House Republicans passed the SAVE Act on Wednesday evening along near-party lines. This controversial piece of legislation, devised by right-wing influencers, aims to amend the National Voter Registration Act to require proof of citizenship for voting.
Although the bill stands no chance of passing in the Senate, pro-Trump commentators seized on the opportunity to criticize Democrats who voted against it. However, many social media users and Democrats themselves condemned the bill as a cynical ploy to undermine confidence in U.S. elections.
“198 Democrats voted no to the SAVE Act primarily because non-citizens already can’t vote,” wrote the account @llamalaikum. “Why do Republicans insist on making laws against things that are already illegal? Why do you MAGA morons want so damn much government oversight? What the hell is wrong with y’all?”
Echoing this sentiment, @SethFromThe716 wrote, “Yes, 198 Democrats voted against the SAVE Act because it’s f—— pointless, xenophobic/racially based, and a pathetic waste of time when Congress could be passing real legislation that accomplishes something. Nobody’s trying to allow non-citizens to vote, and they already can’t.”
Elected Democratic lawmakers pointed out that the bill’s purpose was to create the false impression of widespread illegal noncitizen voting. “When we say that the right to vote is under attack, we’re not talking about hypotheticals,” posted Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA). “It is under attack right here, right now with Republicans’ ‘SAVE’ Act.”
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) added, “NEWSFLASH for my GOP colleagues: It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, punishable by prison time and even deportation. The SAVE Act is another attempt to sow doubt about the integrity of our elections by the same extremists who brought us Jan. 6th.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) condemned the bill as “Part of the blueprint of Trump’s Project 2025,” referring to the Heritage Foundation’s proposal to overhaul the federal civil service, bring the FBI and Justice Department under partisan presidential control, and eliminate numerous federal programs. “You can’t fool the American people; they’re smarter than you think. We know what you really want to do,” he asserted. The passage of the SAVE Act, despite its expected failure in the Senate, highlights the ongoing partisan battles over voting rights and election integrity.
