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Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendment that we are going to be voting on shortly, but I want to begin by sharing that I am a little confused--not to the substance of the amendment--but to the process.

I think we just heard a few minutes ago that the majority leader suggested that it was going to be a clean vote on a voter ID measure, when as I see it, it is a stand-alone amendment with language that is already in the underlying bill. It is also language that is in a substitute amendment as well.

I understand there is some showmanship and theatrics going on here, but before I talk about the substance of the bill, let me make one other observation as to what is and what isn't happening here. As prices are going up for families across the country--we have talked about it so many times--healthcare costs, grocery bills, prices at the pump. We are not focusing or debating ideas on how to bring down costs for working families.

Instead, we have now spent 2 weeks debating a bill that would make it harder for eligible Americans to register to vote, to stay registered to vote, and to cast their ballot.

How un-American and how undemocratic that is.

Another observation: As we are going back and forth on negotiations for how to restore funding for TSA and the Coast Guard and FEMA and CISA, we are not talking about that right here and now. We are spending even more time now on an amendment to an amendment to a bill--where the language is already there--on a bill that the American people do not support.

So let's get to the substance. Now, throughout this debate so many of my Republican colleagues have chosen to focus on the topic of voter ID. To be clear: We will always strive for free and fair elections. And, of course, we want to make them safe and secure; and, indeed, they already are.

Report after report, study after study, audit after audit shows that the rate of voter fraud is exceedingly--exceedingly--rare.

What does that tell us? It tells us that existing laws, existing safeguards are working. To suggest otherwise is fundamentally inaccurate.

A simple way of saying it is: It is a lie. It is a big lie, a big lie that has been used as a pretext for so many bad things in this country coming out of this administration.

What this bill would do--or excuse me the amendment to the amendment to the bill--same language--what this effort would do is block common forms of IDs. Veterans IDs. Veterans and servicemembers can't use that ID after their service and sacrifice to our Nation. ``Sorry. That is not enough to allow you to exercise your right to vote.''

Student IDs, also not good enough. Tribal IDs without expiration dates. Some do, many do not have expiration dates on their Tribal IDs. That is not enough to allow you to participate in our democracy, even though you are eligible.

But wait, there is more. The so-called voter ID amendment would also impose new requirements on the tens of millions of Americans who choose or rely on voting by mail.

The majority leader also suggested that: Well, through this amendment, it is simply a requirement to show a voter ID at the polls. As I read the bill, it is very clear. This would result in requiring voters to include a photocopy of their ID with their mailed ballots.

This is a new, additional, and unnecessary obstacle to a very popular form of voting.

How popular? In the 2024 election, 48 million voters chose to vote by mail. And in case you missed the breaking news a couple days ago, President Trump once again voted by mail in the special election in Florida.

So what is it, good enough for the President but not good enough for the rest of us? Secure enough for the President but not secure enough for the American people?

Think about what a voter would have to go through with this new requirement.

OK. You have your ID. Now, you have got to find a copy machine because most people don't have a copy machine at home. Include a copy of your ID along with your ballots.

Now, we have been telling people because of so many frauds and scams that are common to protect their personal information. Be careful with it. And now we are saying: Let's add copies of our ID and put it into the mail.

Give me a break. This is not a requirement in Ohio or in Florida or Texas or South Dakota or not even in Utah where voting by mail is very popular.

In States that have voter ID, this is not a requirement in those States. So why is it now so urgent and necessary to impose this on voters across the country?

The more I think about it, the more it is clear: This is an ongoing concerted effort to make it harder for people to vote.

Now, we have seen what happens when strict voter ID requirements are imposed in our elections. We don't have to speculate. We have seen what has happened in New Hampshire. I spoke to that experience a few days ago here on the floor. We have seen what has happened in the State of Kansas. I spoke to that on the floor of the Senate just a few days ago.

That is the real-world impact of policies and proposals like this: making it harder for eligible Americans to vote.

And it also threatens to throw this year's elections into chaos because if this were to pass and this President signs it into law, this all would go into effect immediately. It is not just about the November midterm elections. There is primary elections that are already underway.

So how do you implement that with no transition period, no additional resources to help State and local governments actually implement the new requirements of the law?

You are going to require a voter ID but not create a mechanism for all eligible voters to obtain a free, easily available ID so that they don't lose their right to vote. And all of this is being done without the most basic level of review.

That is right. What is before us has not had a hearing in either the House of Representatives or here in the Senate and no input from State and local elections officials who actually administer elections.

You don't overhaul election systems this fundamental without hearing from elections officials and experts in this field. And you don't do it in the middle of an election cycle.

That is just some of the reasons why Democrats have been so determined for weeks now coming here to the floor every single day fighting this bill tooth and nail because we are committed to defending our fundamental right to vote in the United States of America, and we will continue coming here to speak and do everything in our power to stop this Donald Trump election takeover bill.

Now, President Trump has been very clear as to why he wants this bill to pass. This bill is about one thing and one thing only: helping his party win this November's midterm elections and elections for the next 50 years. That is how he has described it--the need and the urgency to hold onto power.

This bill is about more than just voter ID. This bill would ban voter registration drives, voter registration drives in communities on college campuses every election cycle--gone. Banned. Eliminated.

This bill would also force States to hand over to the Department of Homeland Security the sensitive information of every voter in America, which would result in voter purges. Again, not speculating. It is happening already.

And before anyone suggests that this is a partisan issue--``Oh, Democrats are just opposed to it because it is a blue State versus red State thing.''

Not true. More than half of a dozen States led by Republicans are refusing to comply with the administration's demand that they hand over their voter rolls.

Colleagues, this is a voter suppression bill, plain and simple. The effect of it would be that fewer people would participate in our democracy. We should be working to have more people participate. We can and we do while keeping it safe and secure.

This bill takes us in the wrong direction. This bill makes more barriers for working families, for seniors, for students, and others. It makes us step backward at a time when we should be making participation easier, not harder.

Colleagues, it is our responsibility and a powerful obligation to protect the right to vote in America. And if you are willing to live up to that, join me. I urge you all, vote no on this amendment.
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