On July 11, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The bill, which passed with a final vote of 221-198, requires all voters to provide proof of citizenship prior to being allowed to vote in a federal election. The bill would also require states to check their voter rolls for registered non-citizens.
What stood out to me was the arguments leading up to the vote that outlined all the reasons why it should not pass. Chief among them was “it costs money to get an ID”. The concerned Representatives who labeled this initiative as a thinly disguised “poll tax” were highly concerned that their constituents were unable to afford the cost.
I have to agree. The cost of obtaining an ID is ridiculous. In my humble opinion, obtaining a government required ID should be a no cost experience. What with the high cost of survival every citizen has to contend with - food, shelter and clothing for instance – we should not be additionally burdened. Where is the concern of our Representatives when it comes to those costs?
With the concerns around foreign interference in our elections, one would think requiring proof of citizenship would be welcome. What better way to ensure infiltrators from foreign countries are not voting for someone who supports foreign wars and uses them as a cover for money-laundering activities. With this ID requirement, we can rest easy that foreign governments cannot place the wrong people in office in our country.
As to requiring states to clean their voter rolls of registered non-citizens, that is a must. It would be wonderful if state level election officials were permitted to do that. Apparently, an easy fix would be secure access to the needed federal database that would facilitate the process.
As I watch online Congressional Committee hearings, I’m astounded at how words get twisted. Needed attention to real concerns gets swept under the rug in favor of narrow political agendas.
We the People are not being well served by many of our Representatives. Convention of States Action is making in-roads toward changing things for the better. Check out how you can get involved in that process. Let’s all work together to make this next election really count for the people.
