The Democrat Party and media establishment have made “saving democracy” the central issue of their campaign to defeat former President Donald Trump, repeatedly insisting that a Trump victory would be an “existential threat” to the country and its governing institutions.
Yet the reality is precisely the reverse: it is the Democrats who have usurped the will of 14 million Democrat primary voters by forcing Mr. Biden out of the race at the eleventh hour.
In addition to replacing their candidate in the least democratic way, now leaders of the Democrat Party are also openly refusing to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This crucial measure passed by the House in early July would ensure that only eligible voters—not illegal aliens—can cast ballots in this fall’s elections.
Protecting the right to vote as a sacred privilege of citizenship is essential to preserving American democracy. Yet just five House Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans in favor of the legislation. Senate Democrats have thus far refused to allow the SAVE Act to come to the floor, and President Biden has already pledged to veto the bill.
By opposing the SAVE Act, Democrats are making clear their true intentions: instead of preserving democracy, they are aiding and abetting illegal aliens in voting in the upcoming elections.
Not too long ago, Democrats and Republicans were united in the belief that American citizenship means something, and that elected officials have a solemn responsibility to protect the integrity of the ballot box.
In 1996, for instance, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Among other provisions that today’s Democrat establishment would consider “far-right,” such as funding for border fencing and the establishment of civil penalties for attempting to cross the border illegally, that bill explicitly banned noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
Out of 185 House Democrats, 105 voted with Republicans in favor of that legislation, and it was signed into law as part of an omnibus bill by Democrat President Bill Clinton.
However, Democrats have in recent years sought to systematically undermine the same electoral safeguards they once helped put in place. They decry voter ID requirements as “racist,” call efforts to clean up voter rolls “undemocratic,” and now refuse to even consider basic measures to ensure that the 10+ million individuals who have illegally entered our country over the past four years cannot gain access to the ballot box.
Democrats claim that the threat of illegal aliens voting is an imaginary crisis. But as a House report published this spring makes clear, not only are illegal aliens voting in substantial numbers, they likely influenced the outcome of several recent races and have been unlawfully casting ballots since at least 2008.
The alarming reality for Americans who care about the integrity of their elections is that decades of under-the-radar efforts by liberal politicians and left-wing interest groups have turned existing election integrity laws into a Swiss-cheese patchwork of carve-outs and caveats.
For instance, 19 states have passed bills allowing non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses, which do not say whether the holder is a citizen. Driver’s licenses are, of course, valid forms of ID for voting purposes.
Fourteen states don’t even require a photo ID to vote. Individuals simply have to sign a form alleging that they are eligible to vote, and they are granted access to the ballot box. In 28 states, including the critical swing states of Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina, individuals can use a student ID to vote – which again does not distinguish between citizens and non-citizens.
The SAVE Act would close loopholes by amending the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to “require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and identity – in person – when registering an individual to vote in a federal election.” It would also empower citizens to sue election officials who fail to enforce citizenship requirements and enable states to use federal databases free of charge to confirm citizenship status.
Importantly, despite claims made by liberal politicians, the SAVE Act would also protect and enhance the ability of naturalized citizens to register and cast their ballots.
This bill could not come at a more crucial time. In addition to the massive influx of illegal aliens in our country, Americans are growing more anxious about the integrity of their elections.
According to a University of South Florida poll conducted earlier this year, just 67 percent of voters from all parties said they were at least “somewhat confident” that the 2024 election will be conducted fairly. That’s an alarmingly low number. Americans should be overwhelmingly confident in the legitimacy of their leaders, even if they do not agree with them politically.
Senate Republicans have already made clear that they are ready to pass the SAVE Act. By refusing to even consider the bill, Senate Democrats are admitting that they have a vested interest in allowing illegal aliens to cast ballots, and that they will put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.
It may be that the SAVE Act was dead upon arrival in the Senate. But at the very least, voters now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Democrats will sacrifice the integrity of our elections to cling to political power—and every Senate Democrat up for re-election should be held to account in November.
Rebecca Weber is the CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens.