Prohibiting Voting By Noncitizens in District of Columbia Elections

Floor Speech

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 489, I call up the bill (H.R. 884) to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 884, which prohibits individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.

On November 21, 2022, the D.C. Government enacted the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, permitting noncitizen residents to vote in D.C. local elections. This includes illegal immigrants and even foreign diplomats whose interests may be opposed to the interests of Americans.

This radical change to Washington, D.C.'s election laws upset lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. For instance, Washington, D.C., Mayor Bowser withheld her signature on the act, something she has done only a handful of times.

Last Congress, when an identical bill was brought to the floor, 262 Members voted in favor, including 52 of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Unfortunately, the Senate refused to take up this bipartisan, commonsense bill to maintain election integrity in our Nation's Capital.

The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship. Diluting that right by extending it to noncitizens, whether here legally or illegally, undermines the voice of Washington, D.C., residents.

Article I of the Constitution grants Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the Nation's Capital, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is charged with ensuring responsible governance in the District, including its election laws.

I urge my colleagues to support Representative August Pfluger's bill to restore commonsense protections and ensure that only United States citizens have the right to vote in local D.C. elections.

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the sponsor of the bill.

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Mr. COMER. Malliotakis).
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Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.

Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleague on the other side of the aisle, the U.S. Congress has a constitutional role to oversee Washington, D.C., law and intervene as necessary.

D.C.'s noncitizen voting law is a dangerous policy. Only American citizens should be permitted to vote in this country, especially right here in the Nation's Capital city.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to prohibit those who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.

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