Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1341, I call up the bill (H.R. 8281) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. STEIL. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
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Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, introduced by my colleague, Representative Chip Roy of Texas.
As chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I have been focused on improving election integrity and increasing confidence in our elections. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of jurisdictions across the country that allow noncitizens to vote in their elections.
Right here in our Nation's Capital, noncitizens are eligible to vote in municipal elections. In Washington, D.C., a noncitizen only has to reside in the District for 30 days in order to vote.
Last month, 143 Democrats voted to approve noncitizen voting in our Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C. We cannot allow this to spread across the United States.
Let me be clear: Noncitizen voting reduces confidence in our elections. American elections are for American citizens, and we intend to keep it that way.
Today, we consider the SAVE Act, and we will see if my Democratic colleagues are once again in support of noncitizen voting. The SAVE Act will strengthen our election administration and restore Americans' confidence in our elections.
The SAVE Act contains critical reforms to update the National Voter Registration Act, an act that requires States to give voter registration forms to everyone who receives a driver's license, regardless of citizenship status.
The bill before us will help States prevent noncitizens from voting in Federal elections by requiring States to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and identify in person when registering an individual to vote in Federal elections.
You are sure to hear my colleagues today on the other side say that noncitizen voting doesn't exist, or that it rarely happens, so we don't need to do anything about it.
First, I point you to a 1996 congressional race in California where an investigation by this body revealed that 624 noncitizens voted in that congressional election. I also point you to a race less than 4 years ago where our colleague from Iowa won by six votes.
Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legal American citizen. Illegal voting risks swaying elections.
Ensuring our laws are being enforced to prevent noncitizen voting is critical. Some will say that illegal voting is already illegal for noncitizens, but it is also illegal to evade the Border Patrol and enter our country illegally. Yet, that hasn't stopped almost anyone.
In the last 3 years, Border Patrol has encountered 7 million illegal migrants at our southern border. We must strengthen our election laws to make sure that they are being properly enforced.
On top of the previously mentioned examples of noncitizen voting, we also have seen examples of noncitizens on the voter rolls in different States across our country.
Just a few years ago, Illinois removed almost 600 noncitizens from its voter rolls. A Georgia audit recently determined that more than 1,600 noncitizens had attempted to register. In Pennsylvania, almost 10,000 noncitizens were removed from their rolls.
Every State needs access to the tools necessary to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls. A crucial element of the SAVE Act would provide States with cost-free access to existing Federal and State databases so they can perform this important voter list maintenance.
Today, we see the Biden administration has weaponized our border, and they are weaponizing Federal agencies to conduct a partisan voter registration scheme using taxpayer dollars under an executive order.
I have subpoenaed each agency's strategic plan. So far, no agency has produced its strategic, secretive scheme to get out the vote, and the left continues to register folks to vote.
By passing the SAVE Act, we can ensure only eligible Americans are registering to vote. Americans deserve confidence in their elections. We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent noncitizens from voting.
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Mr. STEIL. Lee), who are not is the chair of the Subcommittee on Elections.
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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, the right to vote is sacrosanct, and that is why we need to protect it for U.S. citizens.
In New York City, a law was passed to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections. Here in our Nation's Capital, 143 Democrats voted to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections here in our Nation's Capital.
In the State of New York, there is no photo ID requirement. If there was, it should be noted that the State of New York provides drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants. It is the reason that the SAVE Act is necessary, to make sure that we are protecting U.S. elections for U.S. citizens only.
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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
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Mr. STEIL. Malliotakis).
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Mr. STEIL. Tenney).
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, with the Biden administration's allowance of 10 million illegals into the country, the immigration issue does have a bearing on this issue.
Radical, progressive Democrats answer the merits of this legislation with logical fallacies. The 2020 election was perfect, they say; therefore, we should not think about, act to end, or prevent unlawful voting by noncitizens, should not speak of the possibility, should avoid the issue entirely, all to improve Americans' confidence in elections.
Since noncitizen voting is unlawful, they say, it does not occur. Since undetectable conduct in the ordinary course is not evidenced by huge masses of evidence, then the absence of evidence is evidence of absence.
In other words, Biden debate logic. Every vote cast by an illegal alien cancels out the vote of an American citizen, and with millions of ``newcomers'' flooded into the country by the Biden administration, the threat is greater than ever.
Without secure elections, the American experiment is finished. We must pass the SAVE Act.
This is our opportunity to safeguard American elections for American citizens. We have heard time and again from those on the other side of the aisle that this problem doesn't exist; yet, in our committee hearings, we have shown where noncitizens have voted in U.S. elections, whether it is the 1996 election in California, fully investigated by this House, or Fairfax, Virginia, which in 2011 found 278 noncitizens were on the voter rolls and determined 117 of those individuals had voted illegally, or counties across the country. Chicago, Illinois; San Diego County, California; and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, all found noncitizens had participated in Federal elections.
This is our opportunity to make sure that U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens.
We have also heard that it is already illegal in Federal elections for individuals who are not citizens to vote. That is true, but it is also illegal to cross the border into the United States illegally. That hasn't stopped millions of individuals.
This is our opportunity to safeguard our elections, to make sure that U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the SAVE Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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