Two more Florida Republicans in the U.S. House, Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have publicly declared their support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This bill includes provisions to ensure that only United States citizens – not illegal immigrants – can vote in U.S. elections by requiring proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections.
In June, the New York Post reported that 49 states in the Union are actively providing voter registration forms without the necessary proof of citizenship.
“There is currently no requirement on federal voting forms to provide proof of US citizenship, though it is illegal to falsely claim one is a citizen or for a non-citizen to cast a ballot in a federal election … If an applicant attests that they are a US citizen, that is considered valid on its face and the person is registered to vote,” wrote Josh Christenson of the New York Post.
Rep. Lee said there isn’t a good reason not to support this bill.
The SAVE Act is a commonsense bill that would ensure only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections.
It should be a red flag to all Americans that Democrats are opposing this bill. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/cFTuMVyGKr
— Congresswoman Laurel Lee (@RepLaurelLee) July 9, 2024
“Democrats are opposing it. They apparently believe that this isn't something that we need to focus on and ensure isn’t happening. So, what the SAVE Act also does is ensure that election officials have access to the information and tools they need to keep their voter rolls clean. So, the first step is ensuring that it is crystal clear that only US citizens can vote in US elections. But the second step is making sure that elections officials can actually access databases like Social Security, like Homeland Security, to ensure that they can check and see if somebody registers to vote that they are in fact a citizen of this country. So, there is no legitimate reason to oppose that kind of thinking and that kind of law unless, in fact, they do want people who are not citizens of this country to be able to slip through the cracks and vote in our elections,” said Rep. Lee.
Moreover, Rep. Bilirakis added that “election integrity is at stake” regarding the legislation’s fate.
This week, we'll vote on the SAVE Act, which I cosponsored. It protects&preserves the right of American citizens to vote by requiring in-person proof of citizenship before registering an individual to vote. It also requires states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls. pic.twitter.com/dSrjbdOJsY
— Gus Bilirakis (@RepGusBilirakis) July 9, 2024
“The Republican Congress must pass the SAVE Act and we will. People will have to prove their citizenship before they vote, and also the states must clean up their voter rolls. So, ladies and gentlemen, election integrity is at stake. So, we must act and pass the SAVE Act,” said Rep. Bilirakis.
On Monday, President Joe Biden (D) came out against the bill, claiming it would not do anything to properly safeguard elections.
This is a developing story.
