Latest news with #SAVEAct
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Tea Party Patriots to push lawmakers on noncitizen voting
A conservative group is launching a summer push behind an animating cause for President Trump and the right: noncitizen voting. Tea Party Patriots Action, a major conservative grassroots organization, intends to press lawmakers during the August recess to attach the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, to must-pass legislation such as a budget resolution or the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Jenny Beth Martin, who co-founded the group, told The Hill in an exclusive interview that Tea Party Patriots Action will be launching a petition drive online and in person to generate support for the effort. 'So much focus, up until last week, was on the reconciliation bill. And everyone has their priority … and they forget about other things that maybe aren't as important to them. So we're just trying to help remind them this is important to your constituents,' Martin told The Hill. 'But they've been receptive,' she added. 'The members who I've spoken to on both the House side and the Senate side have been receptive to what we're doing.' The group and its grassroots members will be speaking with people at fairs and other community events in the next eight weeks and urging people to host and attend ice cream socials in August so they can discuss the idea in a less formal setting. The organization's leadership is urging supporters to make Aug. 23 in particular a day of action, with members waving signs at busy intersections or holding small local rallies on the topic. Tea Party Patriots Action also intends to hold events in congressional districts across the country to thank lawmakers who backed the SAVE Act in the House or to urge members to do so in the Senate. That tour will culminate in the delivery of petitions to lawmakers on Capitol Hill in September. The strategy harkens back to Tea Party Patriot Action's grassroots efforts to oppose the Affordable Care Act. Though unlike during the Obama administration, the group is not expected to advocate for a shutdown if its demands are not met this time. The idea is almost certain to gain traction with conservative members of Congress, and Trump has for years called for stricter voter identification laws and made exaggerated claims about migrants voting in U.S. elections. The House in April passed the SAVE Act, formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, in a 220-208 vote. Four Democrats — Reps. Ed Case (Hawaii), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) — voted with all Republicans in favor. But the Senate has yet to take up the bill. It's already illegal for those who are not U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections, and critics argue there are exceedingly few cases of noncitizens casting ballots. But proponents of the bill have argued it is necessary to prevent migrants from voting in elections. Democrats and opponents of the legislation have argued that in addition to it being unnecessary, it would disenfranchise many Americans who may not have proof of citizenship handy to be able to cast a ballot. Tea Party Patriots Action is not exclusively committed to passing the SAVE Act; the organization would support the passage of legislation that accomplished the same thing. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) last week announced she was crafting a bill that would only count American citizens in the census. The legislation, titled the Making American Election Great Again Act, appeared to intrigue Trump. 'I know all about it. We want to bring our elections back,' Trump told reporters while in Florida, repeating his unfounded claims that the 2020 election was 'rigged.' Trump earlier this year signed an executive order that directs states to require proof of citizenship when individuals register to vote. But the order drew skepticism from legal experts and would likely be undone by the next Democratic president. The president's fixation on the issue may make it toxic for some Democrats to back something like the SAVE Act in the Senate. But Martin argued it should be a popular move across partisan lines to officially outlaw noncitizen voting, and she expressed cautious optimism that lawmakers would not view it as a poison pill if attached to a budget resolution or the NDAA. 'I understand the political environment we're dealing with, so they may not want to vote for it in the Senate as a stand-alone bill, but I think that if they voted for it in another piece of legislation, people are not going to look at it and go, 'Oh, you evil person. How could you have possibly voted for that in must-pass legislation?'' Martin said. 'President Trump is making some changes through executive orders, but executive orders can be fleeting when you have a new president,' she continued. 'It's the right thing to do for our country. So we want to focus on it and see it through.'
Los Angeles Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: This reader felt the call to speak out against the ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
To the editor: When I retired from my teaching career, I decided that I was going to get more actively involved in trying to make a difference through communication in written form. I had already educated students in history for 16 years and now I wanted to reach a bigger audience. Although writing was rewarding, I felt that I still needed to continue to communicate verbally to try to make a difference. To that effect, I have, on three occasions, made calls to lawmakers to express my opinion about legislation. I called countless federal legislators during President Trump's first term to try to keep the Affordable Care Act from being repealed. I still remember my joy in watching Sen. John McCain cast the deciding vote. Twice now in the last two months, I have called every senator over two bills, the first being the SAVE Act. Yesterday, I completed 100 calls to try to convince the senators that parts of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' are devastating ('Senate Republicans seek tougher Medicaid cuts and lower SALT deduction in Trump's big bill,' June 17). The huge cuts to social programs like Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act are overwhelming and the amounts seem to change daily. My biggest fear is the provision on Page 562 that few know about and mention (including your article). Although the details are confusing, the effects are clear: The power of the courts, which so far have been the people's only recourse, will essentially be weakened and the results could lead to full dictatorship. Lynn Lorenz, Newport Beach .. To the editor: The simple answer to avoiding the cruel and unnecessary cuts to programs and services funded by the federal government is to let the Trump tax cuts expire ('Republican fractures multiply over Trump's megabill,' June 19). Our priorities should be the poor, those in danger of losing healthcare, school lunch programs, national parks and climate change, not continuing tax breaks for the wealthy. Patricia Koch, Long Beach
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge halts Trump's power grab on federal elections and voter registrations
When Donald Trump signed an executive order in March, asserting radical powers of federal elections, it was widely assumed that the president's power grab would spark lawsuits he was likely to lose. Those assumptions, unsurprisingly, were correct. CBS News reported: A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked President Trump's administration from implementing portions of his executive order that imposed new requirements involving proof of citizenship to register to vote in U.S. elections. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper agreed to grant a preliminary injunction sought by attorneys general from 19 states, who brought their legal challenge to Mr. Trump's executive order in April and sought to block sections of it. For those who might benefit from a recap, let's review how we arrived at this point. Last year, congressional Republicans tried to advance legislation called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (or SAVE Act), that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. The bill did not, however, pass the Senate or become law. This year, Trump apparently decided that he could just create the policy anyway through presidential fiat. It was an approach rooted in a fundamentally ridiculous governing vision: When Congress fails to pass a bill, presidents can simply implement the law anyway, without legislative approval. What's more, Trump's executive order on this didn't stop with just new requirements that would force Americans to prove their citizenship when registering to vote. It also imposed a variety of other election 'reforms' — touching on everything from mail-in ballot deadlines to election equipment — that NBC News reported 'could risk disenfranchising tens of millions of Americans.' The president did all of this by exercising a legal authority he did not, and does not, have. A Washington Post report summarized the problem succinctly: 'The U.S. Constitution designates the power to regulate the 'time, place and manner' of elections to the states, with the proviso that Congress can step in and override those laws. It gives no specific power to the president to do so. Election experts said that Trump was claiming power he does not have and that lawsuits over the measure were all but guaranteed.' With this in mind, a federal judge two months ago blocked enforcement of parts of the Republican's directive, in response to cases filed by the Democratic Party and several voting rights advocates. Now, Judge Casper has followed suit. 'There is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections and the federal voter registration forms require attestation of citizenship,' Casper wrote in her 44-page ruling. 'The issue here is whether the president can require documentary proof of citizenship where the authority for election requirements is in the hands of Congress, its statutes ... do not require it, and the statutorily created [Election Assistance Commission] is required to go through a notice and comment period and consult with the States before implementing any changes to the federal forms for voter registration.' If recent history is any guide, the administration will appeal the ruling, and House Republicans could consider impeaching the judge in this case. Watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wyden aims to bring Oregon's voting model nationwide with Vote at Home Act
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) reintroduced a bill on Friday that could change the way Americans vote across the United States. Initially introduced by Wyden in 2017, the Vote at Home Act would give eligible voters the option to vote by mail (including via drop-off site), provide pre-paid envelopes to return ballots and would automatically register citizens to vote at DMVs. Under the bill, voters who live in states with in-person, same-day voter registration would still have the option to vote at a polling station. Oregon man who set sail with his cat arrives to cheers in Hawaii The Vote at Home Act would also send ballots in the mail weeks ahead of Election Day, while providing funding for the United States Postal Service to cover costs associated with mailing ballots to and from voters. 'With Trump taking over the Oval Office, far-right legislators across our country are more emboldened to make voting more difficult for millions of Americans,' Wyden said in a press release Friday. 'Taking off work to vote in person – often waiting in long lines for hours – isn't an option for so many voters. Voting is a fundamental constitutional right. It should be easy, and bringing the Oregon Way of vote-at-home nationwide will guarantee that every eligible voter can make their voices heard.' Wyden noted the reintroduction of his bill follows passage of the Republican-led Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The SAVE Act was introduced in January by Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) who says the legislation is necessary to protect against ineligible voters from participating in U.S. elections. 'American elections belong to American citizens, and the public's confidence in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic,' Roy previously said. 'We in Congress have a duty to our fellow citizens to provide that confidence and put concrete enforcement in place to ensure that our elections and our sovereignty cannot be hijacked and influenced by foreign nationals who have no business voting in this country.' Some state officials, including have raised concerns about the SAVE Act. DON'T MISS: How would the SAVE Act impact PNW voters? Proof of citizenship explained This also includes 17 Democratic state attorneys general — including Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield — who sent a letter in early April to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), urging them to oppose the bill. 'This law just makes it harder for people to vote,' Attorney General Rayfield said. 'We can protect the integrity of our elections while still making sure that every legitimate voter has an equal opportunity to cast their ballot without obstacles or discrimination.' In their letter, the attorneys general said cases of non-citizen voting in the U.S. are 'extremely rare,' pointing to several studies and an audit of Georgia's voting rolls by the Secretary of State's office, which found 20 non-citizens registered to vote out of 8.2 million residents and nine of the 20 non-citizens had a record of voting, as reported by the Associated Press. Portland infrastructure at risk due to gradual sinking, study says According to the attorneys general, the bill would also require expensive documentation, such as passports or birth certificates to match voters' current names – which could be difficult for some, including married women, whose legal name no longer matches the name on their birth certificate. 'Over 21 million voting-age citizens do not have ready access to a passport, birth record, or naturalization record,' the coalition wrote. 'And 80% of married women would not have a valid birth certificate under the SAVE Act because those women chose to adopt their partner's last name.' The bill also mandates in-person presentation of the citizenship documents, which effectively eliminates online voter registration systems, which is available in 42 states, the attorneys general argue, noting this could also disenfranchise active-duty service members who cannot return to their local election offices. Alice returns from Wonderland: African crane back at Washington zoo after two-day escape Wyden is joined by several Democratic colleagues backing the bill, including Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass). 'Voting by mail has worked in Oregon for years. It's quick and secure—helping folks in red, blue, and purple states safely make their voices heard in our elections,' Sen. Jeff Merkley said. 'This shouldn't be a partisan issue. Expanding vote by mail nationwide is a secure way to ensure all eligible voters can exercise this constitutional right.' 'Oregon was the first state to enact full vote by mail in 1995, an effort led by both Democratic and Republican Secretaries of State,' said Oregon Congresswoman Val Hoyle, (D-04), who introduced the House companion of the Vote at Home Act earlier this year. 'We have seen the positive impact that mail in voting has had in Oregon – not only does it improve access for eligible voters, but every ballot has a paper copy making it the most secure form of voting. Voting is a Constitutionally protected right and I'll fight to make sure every eligible voter can make their voice heard. I am proud to introduce legislation with Senator Wyden that does exactly that.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: Take it from California's election czar, the SAVE Act is a sham
For much of America's history, the right to vote was reserved for a select few. African Americans, women and other minorities were unable to cast ballots. Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility – or SAVE Act. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote an opinion piece for the L.A. Times calling the bill 'Jim Crow 2.0.'
