WASHINGTON – A handful of Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday urged the chamber to pass a government-keeping bill that would also require proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections, in an effort to prevent noncitizens from casting their ballots, which is infrequent and already illegal.
Republican Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah,
Roger Marshall of Kansas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama urged the chamber to adopt the House approach to a stopgap government funding bill by adding a measure requiring proof of citizenship.
“We need to make sure there is actually no fraud,” Scott said.
The senators argued that even a few hundred votes could make a difference in elections and that a law requiring proof of citizenship was therefore necessary.
“Protecting the integrity of our system by requiring proof of citizenship is not controversial. It’s actually common sense,” Marshall said. “Just as we have laws to prevent speeding, we need laws to prevent illegal voting.”
Shutdown policy
The press conference took place hours after Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson of Louisiana. withdrew the transitional budget law to refrain from a vote in the plenary after several Republicans in the House of Representatives spoke out against it.
To prevent a partial government shutdown, Congress must pass a government funding bill by the end of the month.
Scott said he and the other speakers Wednesday did not support shutting down the government because of the inclusion of that provision.
“Nobody up here wants to shut down the government,” Scott said.
Lee introduced the Senate version of the House bill, p. 4292.
“We all know that elections, including and especially presidential elections, tend to be decided in a fairly narrow range, namely in a few states and very often in just a few counties across the country,” Lee said. “And it would be foolish for us to let that vulnerability go unexploited.”
Johnson blamed the Biden administration for its immigration policies, claiming the government was allowing immigrants into the country on parole so they would vote for Democrats.
“I can’t think of any other reason than to encourage a group of people – I’m very grateful to you – to vote and to enable them to vote illegally,” Johnson said.
Tuberville, who was sworn into Congress three days before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said the legislation was necessary so people could have confidence in their elections.
“What’s going to happen if we don’t show the American people that the election is going to be fair and they’re going to be happy with the outcome whether the Republicans win or the Democrats win? Then all hell is going to break loose in this country,” he said. “That’s going to happen, and I’m not so sure that’s not what the Democrats want.”
The House of Representatives passed the election bill in July, but it fell by the wayside in the Senate, where Democrats have a narrow majority.
The Democratic Senate leaders have also refused to attach the invoice on government funding, and the White House has already stated that President Joe Biden would veto such a measure.
The provision is supported by former President Donald Trumpthe current Republican presidential candidate, who called on Republicans in Congress to force a government shutdown if Democrats do not accept Republicans’ adoption of the election bill.
