- 1 year ago
On the House floor, lawmakers debated HR 884, "To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act."
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00:00In calendar number 106, H.R. 884, a bill to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States
00:07from voting in elections in the District of Columbia, and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022.
00:16Pursuant to House Resolution 489, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
00:23printed in the bill, is adopted, and the bill as amendment is considered read.
00:26The bill as amended shall be debatable for one hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member
00:33of the Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, or their respective designees.
00:38The gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Comer, and the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Frost, each will control 30 minutes.
00:44And the chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Comer.
00:47Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
00:53and include the strenuous material on the measure under consideration.
00:55Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
01:01The gentleman is recognized.
01:02Thank you, Madam Chair.
01:04I rise in support of H.R. 884, which prohibits individuals who are not citizens of the United States
01:10from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.
01:13On November 21, 2022, the D.C. government enacted the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act,
01:21permitting non-citizen residents to vote in D.C. local elections.
01:26This includes illegal immigrants and even foreign diplomats whose interests may be opposed to the interests of Americans.
01:35This radical change to Washington, D.C.'s election laws upset lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
01:41For instance, Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser withheld her signature on the act, something she has done only a handful of times.
01:49In last Congress, when an identical bill was brought to the floor, 262 members voted in favor,
01:55including 52 of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
02:01Unfortunately, the Senate refused to take up this bipartisan, common-sense bill to maintain election integrity in our nation's capital.
02:11The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship.
02:18Diluting that right by extending it to non-citizens, whether here legally or illegally,
02:24undermines the voice of Washington, D.C. residents.
02:28Article 1 of the Constitution grants Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the nation's capital.
02:35And the House Oversight Committee is charged with ensuring responsible governance in the district, including its election laws.
02:43I urge my colleagues to support Representative August Pfluger's bill to restore common-sense protection
02:49and ensure that only United States citizens have the right to vote in local D.C. elections.
02:56I reserve the balance of my time.
02:58The gentleman reserves, and the gentleman from Florida is recognized.
03:02I yield myself as much time as I consume.
03:04Gentleman is recognized.
03:05I strongly oppose H.R. 884, which would repeal a law duly enacted by the District of Columbia because D.C. should be free to govern its own local matters.
03:18Republicans claim that Congress has a constitutional duty to legislate on local D.C. matters, but this is historically and legally incorrect.
03:26Republicans legislate on local D.C. matters only when they think they can score political points, such as by demonizing immigrants.
03:36Where is this passion and work on affordable housing for D.C. residents?
03:40Where is this impassioned work on ending gun violence for D.C. residents?
03:43They only bring it up to the floor when they think they can score political points, taking away the democratic rights of people here in D.C. and home rule.
03:54The framers expected Congress to establish a local government for D.C., and Congress has established various forms of local government for D.C. since 1802.
04:05The Supreme Court has held that Congress may delegate to D.C. legislative authority over local D.C. matters.
04:11In 1973, Congress passed the D.C. Home Rule Act, which gave D.C. an elected chief executive and an elected legislature, the mayor, and the D.C. City Council.
04:23The purpose of the Home Rule Act is to, quote, grant the inhabitants of the District of Columbia powers of local self-government and, quote,
04:34to relieve Congress of the burden of legislating upon essentially local D.C. matters, end quote.
04:40H.R. 884 contravenes the purpose of the Home Rule Act.
04:47D.C.'s local residents voting amendment act of 2022 allows D.C. residents who are not yet U.S. citizens to vote only in local elections.
04:58Only in local elections, namely for mayor, members of the city council, the state board of education, attorney general, advisory, neighborhood commissioner, and ballot measures.
05:09The D.C. law does not allow noncitizens to vote in federal elections, which is a crime under federal law.
05:17Regardless of your views on the merits of noncitizen voting for local elections, we have to acknowledge that D.C. is not the first, nor are they the only jurisdiction in our country to allow this.
05:29At various points throughout American history, Congress in 40 states have allowed noncitizens to vote in local, state, territorial elections, including the home state of the sponsor of this bill.
05:44Congress did not prohibit noncitizens from voting in federal elections until 1996.
05:50And today, about 20 municipalities allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
05:57I also want to address very specific concerns that we're hearing from our Republican colleagues.
06:03Number one, they're concerned that foreign diplomats might vote in local D.C. elections.
06:07We believe, number one, that that's highly unlikely, both because they have to renounce their right to vote in their home country
06:14and because D.C. has no authority over federal matters and is only limited local self-government.
06:21In D.C., the penalty for voter fraud includes imprisonment for up to five years.
06:27To be eligible to vote in D.C., a person must maintain their residency in D.C. for at least 30 days before the election
06:35and cannot claim voting residence or the right to vote in any state, territory, or country.
06:42In a letter to Congress, the D.C. Board of Elections made it clear that to vote in a D.C. local election,
06:48a foreign diplomat would have to, quote,
06:51effectively renounce their right to vote in their country of origin, end quote.
06:55The board noted that a foreign diplomat would have to, quote,
06:59swear under penalty of law through the D.C. registration application
07:03that the person is not claiming voting residence in another country, end quote.
07:07The board also noted that an embassy address cannot be used to register to vote
07:12since it is considered a commercial or business address,
07:15and a foreign passport cannot be used to register to vote
07:18since it does not contain a residential address in D.C.
07:22While Republicans are concerned about foreign diplomats voting in local elections,
07:27I wonder if they're aware that the United States, that currently in this country,
07:30United States citizens who are registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act,
07:35are currently allowed to vote in elections at all levels of government in the United States,
07:39including federal elections.
07:41That's right.
07:42Registered foreign agents who are currently U.S. citizens
07:46can vote anywhere in the United States.
07:48Republicans are also concerned that undocumented immigrants might vote in local D.C. elections.
07:55That's highly unlikely because the D.C. voter roll is public record,
07:59and undocumented immigrants likely would not want to identify themselves, including their address.
08:05In closing, the House of Representatives is considering the wrong D.C. voting rights bill here today.
08:11Republicans claim that voting is a core right or the privilege of American citizenship,
08:15and not only is that historically incorrect, but I described earlier, it's also hypercritical.
08:23Republicans have fought tooth and nail to defeat legislation
08:26that would give the American citizens who reside in D.C. voting representation in the House and the Senate.
08:34We, of course, continue to push for D.C. statehood,
08:37and I urge the House to reject H.R. 884, and instead to pass H.R. 51.
08:43Thank you. I yield back.
08:44The gentleman reserves.
08:45Sorry, I reserve. I reserve.
08:46The gentleman reserves, and the gentleman from Kentucky is recognized.
08:49Madam Speaker, I yield three minutes to the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Pflueger.
08:56The gentleman from Texas is recognized for three minutes.
08:58Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank the Chair, Mr. Comer, my good friend from Kentucky.
09:04I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 884,
09:08that would prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States
09:11from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.
09:14This is a common-sense bill.
09:16I'm going to start with a question that's posed.
09:19Why, for what reasons, why would my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
09:24want foreigners to vote in local elections in Washington, D.C.?
09:28What's the purpose?
09:30So let's just pose that question of why,
09:32and I ask the American public to ask your representative where they stand on this issue
09:38because it's a bipartisan issue
09:39with over two-thirds of this body having voted for it last year.
09:46Free and fair elections are prerequisite for the healthy republic
09:49that our Founding Fathers envisioned in the District of Columbia as the epicenter,
09:53and they entrusted its care to Congress in Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution.
10:00On November 21, 2022, the D.C. City Council made a radical decision to allow non-citizens,
10:06including illegal aliens and those who are aligned with embassies of foreign countries,
10:13to vote in local D.C. elections.
10:15After the non-citizen voting law went into effect,
10:18the District actively encouraged non-citizens to vote for mayor,
10:21attorney general, members of the State Board of Education, and more.
10:24And some may wrongly dismiss these as merely local elections.
10:28However, the reality is that local elections are a vital part to our democratic process
10:32and have a significant impact on communities.
10:35Local elections determine critical matters such as taxation, the criminal code,
10:40and the election of city council members who create essential ordinances,
10:43including those that dictate voting rights.
10:46It's also important to acknowledge that many local elections are decided by razor-thin margins,
10:50underscoring their significance and the importance of active participation.
10:54And I find it unimaginable that the District, along with many across the country,
10:58would intentionally weaken the power of their constituents, citizens,
11:03many of whom come from underserved communities in favor of non-citizens
11:07who in some cases have broken our laws to enter this country
11:10or could potentially be employed by a foreign adversary.
11:13As the capital of our democracy, Washington, D.C., should be at the forefront of ensuring safe and secure elections,
11:19not encouraging illegal immigrants and others to vote for policies that we don't want.
11:26And I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to look beyond Democrats' claim
11:29that this bill is discriminatory or misrepresents its intended purposes.
11:33No, it doesn't. It absolutely does not.
11:36This keeps the sanctity of being a citizen of this great country at the highest possible level.
11:42And let's restore that sanctity.
11:45And I go back to the question.
11:47This is common sense.
11:49But you have to ask yourself, why would you want a foreign agent?
11:52Why would you want an illegal immigrant?
11:53Why would you want somebody else that's not a citizen voting in local elections in D.C.?
11:57For what nefarious purpose are you pushing?
12:01As I mentioned last Congress, the House passed this bill with bipartisan support.
12:05All Republicans and one-third of Democrats supported this common-sense measure,
12:08and I'm asking everybody in the House of Representatives to stand up and do the right thing.
12:12Vote for this bill, and I yield back.
12:17The gentleman reserves, and the gentleman from Florida is recognized.
12:21You know, it's interesting because the gentleman just asked our constituents
12:26to ask us what we think about this issue.
12:29But I think the better thing would be for the gentleman to ask his constituents what they care about.
12:34And I promise you, this issue will not be in the top three nor ten of the things that they want us to focus on.
12:41And at the same time, they're pushing a bill to take away health care from 15 million Americans.
12:46Give me a damn break.
12:47D.C. believes in universal adult suffrage that all adult D.C. residents,
12:52regardless of their immigration status, are subject to D.C. laws, taxation, and must register for selective service.
12:58D.C. believes they deserve a say in the local, again, in the local laws that govern them
13:05and how their local taxes are spent.
13:07Congress should not decide which residents are fit to govern on local D.C. matters.
13:12And I promise the gentleman, if he spoke with his own constituents, they don't give a damn.
13:17I yield seven minutes to the gentlelady from the District of Columbia, Ms. Norton.
13:22He is recognized.
13:30I strongly oppose this undemocratic paternalistic bill,
13:34which would repeal a law enacted by the locally elected District of Columbia government
13:39and impose a new law on D.C.
13:42I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from every member of D.C.'s locally elected
13:49legislature, the Council, opposing this bill.
13:53I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter D.C.'s locally elected Attorney General,
14:00Brian Schwab, opposing this bill.
14:04Without objection.
14:04Last Congress, Republicans introduced 26 bills or amendments to change local D.C. election laws,
14:15including 14 to prohibit non-citizens from voting in D.C.
14:21or to repeal, nullify, or prohibit the carrying out of the local D.C. law
14:30that allows non-citizens to vote in local elections.
14:35Yet Republicans refuse to make the only election law change D.C. has requested,
14:41which is to make D.C. a state so they can hold elections for voting members of the House and Senate.
14:50While Congress has the authority to legislate on local D.C. matters,
14:55it is not required to do so.
14:59In Federalist 43, James Madison said of D.C. residents, quote,
15:05a municipal legislature for local purposes derived of their own suffrages will, of course, be allowed them, end quote.
15:15In 1953, the Supreme Court held that, quote,
15:22there is no constitutional barrier to the delegation by Congress to the District of Columbia to full legislative power, close quote.
15:33I want to discuss democracy or lack thereof in D.C.
15:37There are 700,000 D.C. residents.
15:42D.C. residents are required to pay federal taxes, register with selective service,
15:48and serve on federal juries in the same manner as residents of states.
15:54Yet D.C. residents have no voting representation in Congress,
15:58and Congress has the ultimate say on local D.C. matters.
16:03The Council has 13 members.
16:06If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote,
16:12residents can vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure.
16:18That is called democracy.
16:21Congress has 535 voting members.
16:26None are elected by D.C. residents.
16:29If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote on local D.C. matters,
16:34because residents cannot vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure.
16:40That is the antithesis of democracy.
16:44The substance of this bill is irrelevant,
16:48since there is never any jurisdiction for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters.
16:56However, I will briefly discuss it.
16:59D.C. allows non-citizens to vote in local elections,
17:03because it believes that all adult residents deserve a say in their local government.
17:09While D.C. law allows non-citizens to vote only in local elections,
17:1540 states and the federal government allow non-citizens to vote in local, state, territorial,
17:23and federal elections at various points, including the founding.
17:28The federal government first prohibited non-citizens from voting in federal elections only 29 years ago.
17:37Today, nearly 20 citizens allow non-citizens to vote in local elections.
17:44As the House has considered this bill,
17:49Republicans have repeatedly said the franchise is a right of citizenship.
17:54If that is what Republicans believe,
17:58I hope they will finally grant American citizens who live in D.C.
18:02the right to vote for voting representation in Congress.
18:06I have introduced H.R. 51 to do so.
18:11Pursuant to the admissions clause,
18:14pursuant to the admissions and district clauses of the Constitution,
18:19H.R. 51 would admit the residential and commercial areas of D.C. as a new state.
18:27Statehood would not only give D.C. voting representation in Congress,
18:31it would also give D.C. full local self-government.
18:37I urge members to respect the will of D.C. residents by voting no on H.R. 884.
18:47I yield back.
18:49The gentleman reserves.
18:51Yes, we reserve.
18:51The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized.
18:55Mr. Speaker, I yield five minutes to the gentlelady from New York, Ms. Malatakis.
19:02The gentlelady from New York is recognized for five minutes.
19:04Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
19:06I rise to ask the question,
19:08why are the Democrats so obsessed with allowing non-citizens to vote in our election?
19:14Why did they go so out of their way to dilute the voices of American citizens,
19:20the very American citizens who elected them to represent them?
19:23It is incredibly frustrating to hear that they continue to double down, triple down on giving rights to people
19:34who are not citizens of this country at taxpayer American citizen expense.
19:40The lead debater on the other side of the aisle said that it's not just this Washington, D.C.
19:50that is looking to allow non-citizens to vote in our elections.
19:5320 municipalities, and guess what?
19:55They're all Democrat-run.
19:57Now, in New York City, we had the same problem,
19:59where the New York City Council passed legislation to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections.
20:06We had to sue to stop it, and we successfully did.
20:13But it took not just one round in court, not just two rounds in court,
20:17three rounds in court where the City Council and the Mayor of New York
20:22used taxpayer money to continue to fight this each and every round,
20:27despite being voted down in the New York State Supreme Court,
20:31in the New York State Court of Appeals,
20:33appellate court, and lastly, in the New York Court of Appeals,
20:38which, by the way, all Democrat appointees on that panel of judges,
20:42and we still won because it is illegal.
20:45It is not constitutional for non-citizens to vote in our elections.
20:51And so just like we fought this in New York City and we prevailed,
20:55we will do the same here in Washington, D.C.,
20:58and make sure that they stop allowing and they don't allow non-citizens to vote in their municipal elections
21:06because we are exercising our constitutional responsibility to protect our elections.
21:13So I urge my colleagues to continue to be strong and vote in support of this
21:20because we know that it passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support last year.
21:2452 Democrats sided with Republicans.
21:26But those who continue to push for non-citizens to vote in our elections to dilute citizenship
21:36and dilute the voice of citizens in our elections should be ashamed of themselves
21:41and they should think about who actually elected them to represent their interests here today
21:46and why they continue to push the contrary.
21:50I yield back.
21:50The gentleman in Kentucky reserves and the gentleman in Florida is recognized.
21:56I yield as much time as I might consume.
21:58You know, I think it's interesting too.
21:59The gentleman is recognized.
22:01Oh, yeah.
22:02I think it's interesting because the gentlelady who just spoke said something.
22:09She said this is about preserving our elections, quote, our elections.
22:14This is not about our elections.
22:17It's not about my election.
22:18It's not about her election being from New York.
22:21It's about the elections, the local elections of residents of D.C.
22:27Not hers.
22:28Not mine.
22:30Theirs.
22:31Their local election.
22:32And I think it's interesting because I don't know what happened.
22:35My Republican colleagues always like to talk about limited federal government.
22:40My Republican colleagues like to always talk about giving local governance, how important that is,
22:46and yet they want to rip it away from the people in this city.
22:50My question is how many doors have they knocked in D.C.?
22:54Have you knocked a single door?
22:55Have you spoken with a single resident, a person who lives here, about what they care about?
23:00No.
23:01You're using this chamber.
23:03You're using these bills to score national political points on local issues.
23:08The other thing the gentlewoman said, the gentlelady said, is it's about protecting the sanity of citizen voting.
23:16And like every other issue, Republicans want our people to believe that in order to protect us, we have to take something away from somebody else.
23:25That's how we protect the sanity of voting for citizens.
23:28We have to take something away from D.C. that they voted for.
23:32When right in front of us, if you want to protect the sanity or the sanctity of citizen voting in D.C.,
23:40then we know what we have to do.
23:43D.C. statehood.
23:44We have to ensure that citizens in D.C. are able to have a fully voting representative in the United States Congress,
23:53have full representation in this country.
23:55That's what we do to protect the sanity of citizen voting in Washington, D.C.
24:02Not encroach on decisions that the people here have made locally.
24:07So I don't want to hear about our elections.
24:10Local D.C. elections are not my elections.
24:12They're not your elections unless you live here.
24:15The local D.C. elections are about the residents of this area.
24:20I yield back.
24:20Or I reserve.
24:22The gentleman on the reserve, you're from Kentucky, is recognized.
24:25Mr. Speaker, I yield two minutes to the gentleman from Texas.
24:28Mr. Gill.
24:29Gentleman from Texas is recognized for two minutes.
24:32Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
24:33Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to Democrats trying to give voting rights to illegal aliens.
24:42Mr. Speaker, once again, Democrats are taking the 20% side on another 80-20 issue.
24:49The American people do not want illegal aliens voting.
24:53They shouldn't be here to begin with.
24:55They have no claim on our resources.
24:58And they certainly should not be influencing our political system in any respect.
25:05Mr. Speaker, every single one of them needs to be deported.
25:09And thankfully, we have a president who is actually doing that.
25:14Mr. Speaker, for so long, Democrats have called conservatives, conspiracy theorists.
25:21They've splandered us for saying that the Democrat playbook, which they themselves have articulated,
25:28is to open up our borders to ultimately provide amnesty, a path to citizenship, and voting rights
25:35to illegal aliens.
25:38And, Mr. Speaker, they are doing that right now.
25:41That's exactly what they're doing.
25:42And they're fighting for it.
25:44Allowing illegal aliens to vote is not only grotesquely unjust, but it waters down the meaning
25:54of citizenship for American citizens who are here.
25:58Mr. Speaker, our government should represent our people, American citizens.
26:05Illegal aliens have no right to vote.
26:07But they shouldn't be voting, and they need to be deported.
26:13With that said, I yield back.
26:15Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
26:22You're recognized?
26:23Well, you know, once again, my Republican colleagues want to deflect on this issue, focus in on undocumented
26:30immigrants.
26:31Undocumented immigrants are unlikely to vote in local D.C. elections.
26:36Again, why?
26:37Because the D.C. voter roll is a public record.
26:40Undocumented immigrants are not going to want to identify themselves, including their address,
26:45where they live.
26:47Non-citizen voting, again.
26:49This consists of a lot of jurisdictions across the entire country.
26:53We talked about 20 municipalities.
26:55Do this to allow universal adult suffrage, the ability for people to take part in local
27:01elections.
27:02The other thing, real quick, that one of my Republican colleagues brought up is the purpose
27:07of this bill is, quote, you know, we want to stop the diluting, diluting the voices of
27:12American citizens.
27:14Diluting the voices of American citizens.
27:16What's really diluting the voices of American citizens are voter suppression laws, like we
27:20see in the South, like we see in Florida, where I'm from.
27:24Poll taxes, voter roll purges, voter intimidation.
27:27That is what's diluting the voices of American citizens.
27:30I haven't heard a single Republican in this debate talk about ensuring that citizens that
27:35live in D.C. can have full representation in Congress.
27:38Where's that?
27:39I bring it up again.
27:41Every issue.
27:43Republicans want to talk about protecting us by taking away stuff from other people and
27:47never want to talk about giving citizens what we deserve.
27:51And the citizens of D.C. deserve to have full representation in the United States Congress.
27:57I reserve.
27:59The gentleman reserves.
28:00The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized.
28:01Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains?
28:08The gentleman from Kentucky has 20 and a half minutes remaining.
28:12Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin.
28:16Mr. Stile.
28:18Gentleman's recognized.
28:19I thank the chairman.
28:20I thank the chairman for his good work.
28:22I thank my colleague, August Pflueger, for bringing forward today's legislation.
28:26U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only.
28:31A simple premise.
28:32When I began my work on trying to stop non-citizens from voting in the United States, I was often
28:37told by people that they didn't believe that this was actually the case.
28:41That's how radical of a provision exists in Washington, D.C. law.
28:47Let's set the stage for folks listening today.
28:50Let's set the stage to understand how radical this provision is in Washington, D.C.
28:55To be eligible to vote in municipal elections in our nation's capital, an individual only
29:01has to reside in Washington, D.C. for 30 days.
29:05So let's walk through that.
29:06So an individual who works at the Russian embassy, holding a Russian passport in their pocket,
29:13residing in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. for simply 30 days, could walk out of the
29:23embassy, walk to a polling location, because Washington, D.C. does not even have photo ID,
29:29would not need to pull out their Russian passport out of their pocket, and would be eligible
29:34to vote for mayor in our nation's capital.
29:39What the Democrats want to do, Mr. Speaker, is use Washington, D.C. as a petri dish for liberalizing
29:48voting laws across the country.
29:50What my Democratic friends want to do, Mr. Speaker, is allow non-citizens to vote across
29:57the country.
29:58The arguments that are being made fail on the merits when you recognize that the law, in
30:05fact, the law today, allows non-citizens who simply resided in the nation's capital
30:11for 30 days to be eligible to vote.
30:13Again, individuals working at embassies across this city are eligible to vote for positions
30:21like mayor, aldermen.
30:24That is the height of hypocrisy.
30:27We need to make sure that U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only.
30:33In our nation's capital, we should be looking at a whole host of election law reforms.
30:38In fact, I'm of the belief that we should make Washington, D.C. the gold standard of election
30:42laws, to actually show the American people what happens when we put in place provisions
30:47with strong election integrity.
30:50My colleague across the aisle referenced legislation that Republicans are working for.
30:55Well, let's take an example and let's dig into that for a moment.
30:59Let's look at the election integrity law that was passed in the state of Georgia.
31:03This, if we recall, in 2021 was a law that then-President Joe Biden called Jim Crow 2.0.
31:10In fact, the stories that were told about that legislation earned him, I think, four Pinocchiers
31:15or whatever they call that in the Washington Post.
31:18This is how ridiculous it was.
31:20Corporate America bought into the misstatements and the falsities of President Biden.
31:27If we recall, Major League Baseball removed the All-Star game out of Atlanta, Georgia,
31:33following Georgia passing this piece of legislation.
31:35Well, of course, two elections have passed since that legislation went into effect, so
31:40we should look at the empirical data, not at the statements that were made, the hyperbolic
31:45statements that were made by my colleagues on the left.
31:47We should look at the empirical data of what took place when those reforms were implemented.
31:52And what we saw was people increasing their confidence in our elections.
31:57That is a good thing.
31:59That is a good thing.
32:00And the University of Georgia, Georgia State, put forward a robust, a robust survey of how
32:07elections were conducted in the state of Georgia.
32:09And what they saw was high voter participation and people actually having a positive view of
32:14how election results were conducted.
32:16If I recall correctly, there was 0% statistically of blacks that had a poor or negative voting experience.
32:23We should champion that.
32:24We should work to instill election integrity provisions across the board.
32:30Because when people increase their confidence in our elections, they're more likely to participate.
32:36And that's a good thing.
32:37What we want is U.S. citizens participating in our election.
32:43But what we see from my colleagues on the left is a whole host of policies that actually weaken election integrity.
32:50We've held debates as it relates to photo identification.
32:52Again, another provision that should be in Washington, D.C. law.
32:58Photo identification is almost the rockstone of what is election integrity.
33:05It's making sure people are who they say they are.
33:07A simple provision.
33:08I'm often reminded of a time when I was driving home in Wisconsin, heading back home, and I
33:13walked in to grab a six-pack of beer.
33:15The clerk recognized me and said, hey, Brian, how are you doing?
33:17I said, it's good.
33:18It's good to see you.
33:19I set my six-pack of beer on the counter, and she said, Brian, I need to see your ID.
33:23So just like every American, what did I do?
33:24I reached in, I grabbed my wallet, I pulled out my ID, and I handed it over to the clerk.
33:28In my opinion, I think it's absolutely nuts that we protect our beer more than we protect
33:35our ballots in our nation's capital.
33:37We should be looking at ways to strengthen election integrity here in our nation's capital,
33:43the front door for many folks to the greatest country in the world.
33:46Instead of fighting back and saying, yes, in our nation's capital, that, as the Democrats
33:52will say, that we should allow non-citizens to be voting in our nation's elections, we
33:57should actually be saying, no, let's use Washington, D.C. as the gold standard of election integrity.
34:05And what I believe we will see is exactly what we saw in Georgia.
34:07Despite the hyperbolic statements being made by past President Joe Biden, by my colleagues
34:13on the left, what we'll actually see is an increase in confidence in our elections.
34:18We'll see growing participation.
34:21We'll see a strengthening of our democracy.
34:24It's why this legislation is such an important step forward in the process of strengthening
34:29the integrity of our elections, increasing Americans' confidence, and garnering additional
34:35voter participation across the country.
34:38I think it's relevant to also note that last Congress, this bill came before us.
34:44Fifty-two of our Democratic colleagues voted with every Republican in the House.
34:50It will be interesting today, Mr. Speaker, to see how many of my colleagues across the
34:54aisle have the courage to stand up and to say U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens
35:00only.
35:01The big difference here is now we have an opportunity to see this legislation move forward in the
35:06United States Senate.
35:07This is a bill that could actually be signed into law.
35:11We have an opportunity for the first time in a number of years to not only pass election
35:16integrity legislation here in the United States House of Representatives,
35:19We have an opportunity to pass election integrity legislation into law.
35:26Let me tell you, I'm excited about the opportunity to stand there when President Trump signs this
35:30bill into law.
35:32Because this is an opportunity for a major step forward in election integrity here in
35:38our nation's capital, but also a statement across the country.
35:41Because as I believe, the radical Democrats want to use Washington, D.C. voting laws as a
35:46petri dish to roll out their plan across the country.
35:50My colleagues on the radical left would like to see non-citizens voting in my home state of
35:54Wisconsin, small communities, big communities all across this country to drive forward and
36:00assist them in advancing a radical agenda.
36:03It's why making sure that we pass this law today is so important.
36:07To make sure that we're standing up for common sense.
36:11To make sure we're standing up for election integrity.
36:14To make sure that we're making only U.S. citizens having a voice in U.S. elections.
36:21This legislation should be straightforward to my colleagues on the left, although I'm afraid
36:24it won't be.
36:25I am proud to know that I believe every Republican who votes today will vote yes on this important
36:30measure.
36:31Because it's the Republican Party, it's my colleagues of common sense that believe we
36:35need election integrity in our nation's capital.
36:38But more importantly, we need election integrity across the country.
36:41And as we begin this effort, I think we have an opportunity as Americans to see increased
36:46confidence in our elections.
36:47And once again, when we increase confidence, we increase participation.
36:51Our principle should be U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only.
36:55This legislation does that.
36:57And I encourage my colleagues to vote yes.
36:59I yield back.
37:00Reserve.
37:01Gentlemen, reserves.
37:04The chair will receive a message.
37:05Mr. Speaker, a message from the President of the United States.
37:09Mr. Speaker.
37:10Mr. Secretary.
37:11I am directed by the President of the United States to deliver to the House of Representatives
37:16a message in writing.
37:20The gentleman from Florida is recognized.
37:22Thank you, Mr. Chair.
37:24If the esteemed chair from Wisconsin would indulge me, he brought up a set of laws in Georgia,
37:33which I thought was very interesting, talking about what we need to do.
37:38But I would yield 30 seconds to the chair if he could let me know who voted for those laws
37:44that were enacted in Georgia.
37:45I yield 30 seconds to the chair.
37:48It was signed into law.
37:50The gentleman is recognized.
37:51The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized.
37:52The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized.
37:53It was signed into law in the state of Georgia by the governor of the state of Georgia.
37:55The governor, but I guess my question is what legislator.
37:57The gentleman from Florida is recognized.
37:58Oh, sorry.
37:59I reclaimed my time.
38:01I guess I'm just curious what body wrote the legislation, voted on the legislation, and
38:08sent it to the governor's desk.
38:09I yield 30 seconds to the chair.
38:11The gentleman is recognized.
38:12I assume the assembly and senator of the state of Georgia prior to signature by the governor
38:16of the state of Georgia.
38:18I reclaimed my time.
38:19The reason I ask the gentleman is he brings up a law in Georgia that was written by the
38:23elected representatives of the legislature, voted in the office by the people of Georgia.
38:28See, my Republican colleagues would have us believe that today a lot of Democrats are
38:34going to vote for a bill to give noncitizens the ability to vote in D.C.
38:38That's not what we're voting on.
38:40We're not voting on a bill to do something.
38:43We're voting on a bill to allow something to stay in place which was voted into action
38:49by the elected representatives of the local government of D.C.
38:53That's what we're doing here today.
38:55We're not voting to give noncitizens the ability to vote.
38:58We're just saying let D.C. make their own local laws just like they did in Georgia,
39:04just like the esteemed chair brought up earlier.
39:06And the other thing I want to bring up that was brought up has to do with the length of
39:10residency to vote.
39:11D.C.'s length of residency requirement is not a unique thing.
39:15To vote in D.C., yes, a person has to be a resident for at least 30 days before an election.
39:20But to vote in Kentucky, for example, a person has to be a resident for at least 28 days.
39:25I haven't heard our esteemed chair of oversight complain about the laws in Kentucky.
39:29In fact, under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, states cannot set a voter registration
39:35deadline for federal elections more than 30 days before an election.
39:40I reserve.
39:41The gentleman reserves?
39:42The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized?
39:43Reserve.
39:44Excuse me?
39:45Reserve.
39:46Okay.
39:47The gentleman reserves?
39:48Prepare to close.
39:49Okay.
39:50The gentleman reserves?
39:51The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized?
39:53Sorry.
39:54The gentleman from Florida is recognized.
39:56Well, thank you.
39:57Like we mentioned here today, no matter what my Republican colleagues say, they want to
40:01frame this as the Democrats voting to do something here today.
40:05We're not voting to let noncitizens vote in D.C. today.
40:09What we're voting to do is allow D.C. to make their own decisions.
40:12Something my Republican colleagues used to talk a lot about.
40:15Home rule, the ability for localities and people to elect a representative to embodying those
40:20representatives to do something.
40:22If you have a problem with local D.C. laws, pick up a damn clipboard, go and knock some
40:26doors, and try to change it in D.C.
40:29But to do it from this institution, I think, is shameful.
40:33Yield back.
40:34The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized?
40:36Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
40:37And I want to remind my colleague on the other side of the aisle, U.S. Congress has a constitutional
40:42role to oversee Washington D.C. law and intervene as necessary.
40:48D.C.'s noncitizen voting law is a dangerous policy.
40:53Only American citizens should be permitted to vote in this country, especially right here
40:59in the nation's capital city.
41:01I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to prohibit those who are not citizens
41:07of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.
41:13I yield back the balance of my time.
41:16All time for debate has expired.
41:18Pursuant to...
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