Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a bill on Thursday that, if passed, would mandate photo voter identification in Washington D.C., and impose new restrictions to prevent non-citizens from participating in the voting process.
The legislation, titled the “District of Columbia Voter Identification Act”, targets the District of Columbia Council’s Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022. The controversial local law permits both illegal immigrants and legal non-citizens to participate in local elections, a move that has drawn national attention and criticism – an outright violation of our nation’s laws.
The proposed federal law, introduced by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, aims to secure exclusive voting rights for U.S. citizens in any Washington D.C. election. This follows the decision last year by the D.C. City Council to grant non-citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote in city and local elections.
The rationale behind the proposed federal law is anchored in the Constitution.
“Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress direct control over Washington, D.C., and we have the right and responsibility to ensure that American citizens, and American citizens only, are voting in our nation’s capital city,”
MT Greene
Supporters of the legislation believe that non-citizen participation in D.C. elections undermines the voting power of legal U.S. citizens and could open doors to potential electoral chaos instigated by foreign agents. This new bill is an attempt to counter what Greene and common sense American patriots rightfully perceive as a liberal destruction of the voice of legal American citizens.
The Committee on House Administration Chairman, Bryan Steil (R-WI), stated, “American elections should be for American citizens.” He pointed to the allowance of embassy staff from adversarial foreign nations to vote after just a 30-day residence in the capital as a reason for Congress to intervene and protect voters’ rights.
The District of Columbia Voter Identification Act, if passed, is anticipated to form part of a larger legislative package by House Republicans aimed at preserving the integrity of U.S. elections.
Rep. Greene expressed her belief that this bill will not only ensure that only American citizens vote in the nation’s capital but also establish a precedent for the rest of the country to follow. Republican Representatives Claudia Tenney of New York and Greg Steube of Florida have co-sponsored the bill.
Earlier this year, Republican Texas Representative Chip Roy and Senator Ted Cruz introduced similar legislation in the House and Senate that would prohibit the use of federal funds to allow non-citizens to vote in D.C.
The newly proposed legislation requires Washington D.C. to certify that it does not permit non-citizens to vote as a prerequisite for application or receipt of federal funds. With an estimated 50,000 noncitizens residing in the District, according to the Washington Post, the impact of this legislation, if passed, could be significant.
