Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson known as on Congress to go a bill he launched Wednesday that he says would enhance election integrity by cracking-down on non-U.S. residents voting in federal elections.
The laws, which Johnson introduced whereas standing on the steps of the Capitol, proposes amendments to the 1993 National Voter Registration Act by requiring people to present proof of citizenship earlier than registering for elections. Current federal regulation requires voters to fill out a kind swearing that they’re residents, though documentation equivalent to a driver’s licenses, passport or different kinds aren’t mandated.
Johnson first touted the bill after meeting with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in April. If handed, state election officers could be required to implement the new voting registration necessities inside 10 days after the bill is enacted.
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Speaking alongside conservative lawmakers Chip Roy, a congressman from Texas, and Mike Lee, a Senator for Utah, Johnson mentioned Wednesday that whereas it was already in opposition to the regulation for noncitizens to forged a poll in federal elections, there’s “no current mechanism to ensure only those registering or voting are actually citizens.”
The Republican chief additionally repeated his assaults in opposition to President Joe Biden‘s immigration insurance policies, accusing the White House of welcoming “millions and millions of illegal aliens” into the nation. Conservatives have ramped-up strain in opposition to Biden’s dealing with of the U.S. southern border in mild of elevated migration. The subject has additionally grow to be a key talking point for Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign forward of the presidential election in November.
“Even if you weren’t concerned about the drop boxes in the ballot harvesting in the mail in ballots and 2020,” Johnson mentioned, referring to the claims of voter fraud offered by Trump and his allies with out proof after he misplaced to Biden in 2020. “You definitely should be concerned that illegal aliens might be voting in 2024.”
Several research have proven that noncitizens are extraordinarily unlikely to vote in federal elections, and that the quantity who handle to achieve this don’t influence the ultimate consequence. The liberal Brennan Center for Justice group found in a survey of 44 election officers following the 2016 presidential race that roughly 30 noncitizens casted a poll out of the 23.5 million voters, making up 0.0001 p.c of all votes casted in these jurisdictions.
As the Associated Press (AP) beforehand reported, state election officers in North Carolina performed their very own audit after 2016 and located that 41 unlawful immigrants had forged a poll out of 4.8 million voters. Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger additionally performed an audit of his state’s voting procedures in 2022 and located that 1,634 unlawful immigrants had tried to register however had been all caught in the course of the software course of.
Johnson informed reporters on Wednesday that “we all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections. But it’s not been something that is easily provable.”
According to a report from Reuters, Trump’s marketing campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, mentioned that he “100% supports taking legislative action to stop noncitizens from voting in our elections.”
Newsweek reached out to Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries through electronic mail Wednesday night for touch upon Johnson’s bill.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is dedicated to difficult typical knowledge and discovering connections within the seek for frequent floor.
Newsweek is dedicated to difficult typical knowledge and discovering connections within the seek for frequent floor.