(The Center Square) – Members of Illinois’ congressional delegation voted along partisan lines on a U.S. House measure that would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
U.S. House members approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act by a vote of 220-208. The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for federal office, and for other purposes.
Illinois’ congressional delegation voted along party lines.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, urged her colleagues to oppose the measure.
“The SAVE Act suppresses the votes of women, of Black, brown and indigenous people, of veterans and working-class Americans,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez added that Republicans invoked historical policies intended to disenfranchise Americans.
“Anyone who votes for this bill will go down in the history with the likes of confederate politicians, Jim Crow advocates and white supremacists as bigots,” Ramirez said.
Illinois U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, called out Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former President Joe Biden and said illegal aliens in the state have received welfare benefits, commercial driver’s licenses and state identification.
“J.B. Pritzker and the Democrats rolled out the red carpet and actively enticed illegals and those covered by Biden’s bogus asylum programs to settle in my state to the tune of 500,000 people,” Miller said.
Miller said it is a condescending and false argument that women, people of color and rural Americans are not capable of getting an ID.
“You need an ID for most everything else in daily life. Maybe the Democrats should quit wasting so much time in our public schools indoctrinating our children and instead teach them real-life skills, such as reading, civics and how to get an ID,” Miller said.
The SAVE Act now goes to the U.S. Senate.
