Senate Democrat Leadership Refuses to Block DC from Giving Non-Citizens the Vote
A coalition of election integrity, voting rights leaders made an unsuccessful appeal to the U.S. Senate in March to block the District of Columbia Council’s decision to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections.
Despite the House of Representatives passing a resolution of disapproval in February with strong bipartisan support, the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.N.Y.) and Democrat leadership refused to allow the matter before the Senate for a vote.
Two resolutions of disapproval were introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R.Ark.). One by Sen. Tom Cotton (R.Ark.), and another by Ted Cruz (R.Texas). Both were then presented and referred back to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the chairman of this committee, did not schedule a hearing for either resolution, thereby killing them both.
The Home Rule Act, which allows the president to accept a resolution from either house of Congress to disapprove of actions taken by the D.C. Council, gives the federal government the power to overrule such decisions.
Inaction by Senate allowed the Local Resident Voting Rights Act of 2022, passed by D.C. Council on October 31, to take effect March 14.
Residency Over Citizenship
The LRVRA grants all residents of the district over 18 who have been there for more than 30 days, regardless if they are citizens or not, the right to vote at local elections.
The Public Interest Legal Foundation called a Washington press conference on the eve before the bill became law to alert the public to what would happen if it failed to act.
PILF, a national public-interest law firm, is dedicated to election integrity, preserving American elections’ Constitutional framework, and protecting and preserving voters’ rights.
Christopher Arps, president and CEO of Americans for Citizen Voting, opened the meeting by saying: “The right to vote is not absolute. Only citizens are allowed to vote.”
Arps stated that the coalition was for “legal immigration.”
He claimed that the LRVRA would bring a new dimension to our lives. “level of complexity and confusion” to verify eligibility to vote and harm accuracy.
Foreign Embassy Workers Can Vote
Ken Cuccinelli, formerly from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency said that the LRVRA would enable employees of China and Russia who live and work in Washington to vote and thereby be able to have a voice at the running of America’s capital.
“Mexico, Germany, and France do not allow non-citizens to vote. We are becoming a laughingstock in the eyes of our enemies,” He stated.
Cuccinelli is the current national chairman of The Election Transparency Initiative. He warned that the nation’s. “big problem of unclean voter rolls” The LRVRA, similar laws in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, would make matters worse.
According to Cuccinelli, seventy percent believe that only citizens should vote.
Hogan Gidley is the director of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Election Integrity. He stated that there are millions of people. “here illegally and unlawfully,” Extending their right to vote on the basis that they are residents and not citizens would make it more difficult for election officials who have to accurately balance the numbers of votes cast and those who actually voted.
Citizens’ Rights Diluted
J. Christian Adams, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and president of PILF said that foreign nationals can hurt black voters.
“It dilutes the vote of black citizens,” Adams cited Los Angeles as an example for the concept of the “perfect city” “slow erosion” a result of the black influence to the point where there is virtually no representation of blacks in the city.
Currently, PILF attorneys sued New York City on behalf four black citizens. They contend that New York City’s actions of giving noncitizens the right of vote in local elections dilutes them vote, is unconstitutional and violates The Voting Rights Act.
Senate Democrats leaders acted in accordance with President Joe Biden. He had earlier this winter released a statement criticizing Congress for disapproval over LRVRA.
Mayor Muriel bowser had vetoed code revision. However, her action was overturned by the council.
The bill removed most mandatory minimum sentences and decreased penalties for violent criminals.
The Biden White House referred to congressional opposition in its Statement of Administration Policy, dated February 6, 2023. “clear examples of how the District of Columbia continues to be denied true self-governance and why it deserves statehood.
“While we work toward making Washington D.C. the 51st state of our union, Congress should respect the District of Columbia’s autonomy to govern its own local affairs.”
In 2020, the population of Washington was 712,816, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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