The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is pressing the Senate to move on legislation that would require states to obtain an individual’s documentary proof of citizenship before registering them to vote in federal elections.
The bipartisan SAVE Act passed the House over 300 days ago, and the RSC’s Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) previously wrote to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, urging the upper chamber to take up the legislation.
Now, Gill’s fellow members explained to the Washington Reporter why they think such a move is necessary.
“The SAVE Act ensures that only American citizens participate in our democratic process,” Rep. William Timmons (R., S.C.) said. “The House has stood together to advance this bill. The Senate must now meet the moment and bring this legislation to the floor.”
Similarly, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R., Texas) called it “outrageous” that “we still don’t require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.” While support for the SAVE Act is growing with Senate Republicans, a vote has yet to be scheduled, which is why Jackson added that “Senate Republicans must pass the SAVE Act now, before Democrats finish stealing our country forever.”
Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), the RSC’s chairman, highlighted the contrast between the two chambers. “The American people sent us here to get things done, not to make excuses,” Pfluger said. “The Senate needs to stop stalling on this commonsense election integrity bill and get it to the floor. Rep. Gill’s letter is exactly the pressure we need to get this to President Trump’s desk.”
House Republicans point to polling from Gallup showing that 83 percent of American voters back requiring proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Nevertheless, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has already declared that the SAVE Act would be dead on arrival in the Senate.
Republicans in the House are rolling out a series of bills that address election integrity measures of all kinds. Rep. Bryan Steil (R., Wis.) previously spoke with the Reporter about his bill to Make Elections Great Again (MEGA), which includes “commonsense voter ID requirements, clean voter rolls, and citizenship verification.”