House Passes SAVE Act, Potentially Disenfranchising Millions

On Tuesday, the House passed the SAVE Act, a bill that will disenfranchise millions of people by forcing them to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in national elections. This is all at the behest of President Trump, who insists that there is rampant voter fraud — which is just not true. 

According to NBC News, “Lawmakers approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in a 220-208 vote, with four Democrats — Reps. Ed Case of Hawaii; Henry Cuellar of Texas; Jared Golden of Maine; and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state — joining every Republican present in support of the measure.”

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, sponsored the SAVE Act, which would change the National Voter Registration Act so states would now be required to ask for in-person proof of citizenship for people who want to vote. 

There will also be tests that Black folks will have to complete before they can prove that they are in fact smart enough to vote. 

 Editor: The legislation doesn’t say that. 

Me: It might as well. 

And the problem that doesn’t exist has been solved. Republicans have been convinced ever since Trump lost to Joe Biden that there has been this massive influx of undocumented immigrants voting in national elections. 

From BBC:

One by the Brennan Center for Justice interviewed 44 election officials who worked across 12 states during the 2016 election.

It found that out of 23.5 million votes counted in these states, an estimated 30 suspected incidents of non-citizens voting were referred for further investigation.

That’s about 0.0001% of all votes cast.

But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from ensuring that this nonissue is resolved. The SAVE Act would ask that all states “remove undocumented immigrants from existing voter rolls,” and it “would allow American citizens to sue election officials that don’t follow proof of citizenship requirements,” NBC News reports.

“In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election,” Roy said, NBC News reports. “I am grateful that my colleagues answered the call and passed the SAVE Act, as this serves as a critical first step to ensure that we maintain election integrity throughout our country.”

Democrats have been screaming from the hilltops that this effort to stop nonexistent undocumented immigrant voting would just disenfranchise eligible voters who don’t have whatever arbitrary documentation they’re requiring.  

“My Republican colleagues crafted and passed one of the most damaging voter suppression bills in modern history. There’s no doubt that women, military members, and people of color will be disproportionately impacted,” Rep. Joe Morelle, (D-N.Y.,) the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, said in a statement to NBC News. “The fight to stop this bill — to protect Americans’ sacred right to vote — is not over. I will do everything in my power to ensure every eligible American has access to the ballot box.” 

Unless Democrats sell out America again and walk over to the dark side, the SAVE Act should die in the Senate. 

“Senate Republicans would need Democratic support to overcome the 60-vote threshold to advance the bill to a final vote and ultimately send it to Trump to sign into law,” NBC News reports. 

It is illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections. Federal law already requires voters to swear that they are citizens and eligible to vote. What more do you want?!

Are there any other 0.0001% non-issues that lawmakers want to pass bills about? 

I hope not. 

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