Jason Smith: I will fight the left's attempt to influence the outcome of elections

 

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

On July 1, the Supreme Court dealt a massive blow to the radical Left’s attempts to use the powers of the judiciary to target and take down former President Donald Trump. 

The court made clear that a president cannot be criminally prosecuted for actions they take while in office – something I’ve said all along. While the Supreme Court’s decision was a major win, weaponizing the federal government to take down political opponents is only one part of the Left’s multi-pronged strategy to get their preferred outcome on election day.

Lax voter registration laws make it possible for noncitizens to register and vote in American elections. The Arizona Secretary of State website is falsely promoting the idea that individuals who fail to present proof of citizenship when registering will “be eligible to vote in federal elections.” In states like Massachusetts, Ohio, and Virginia, noncitizens have recently been removed from the voting rolls – but only after many of those noncitizens had already cast their ballot. In addition, a 2014 study that looked at the 2008 and 2010 elections found that not only had noncitizens illegally voted in U.S. elections, but they also likely determined the outcome in certain races.

The bottom line is that only U.S. citizens should vote in American elections. As part of the fight to protect the integrity of our elections, House Republicans recently passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. This common-sense legislation requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and allows states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. I was proud to help advance this bill in the House, and I urge the Senate to pass it immediately.

The Left falsely claims the 2016 presidential election was “stolen” due to “foreign election interference.” Yet time after time, they have turned a blind eye to the threat foreign election interference poses when noncitizens are allowed to register and vote in U.S. elections. Earlier this year, I was proud to help the House pass legislation to prohibit noncitizens from voting in elections in Washington, D.C., which is home to many foreign diplomats, including those from nations who are not our friends. Under no circumstances should foreign diplomats or illegal immigrants have the ability to dilute the votes of American citizens in D.C. or anywhere else in the U.S.

Stopping the U.S. Census from including illegal immigrants in its population data, which is used to determine the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes a state has, is another battleground in the fight for election integrity. Earlier this year, a Democrat congresswoman was caught on video calling for more illegal immigration to her congressional district because she “needs more people in her district for redistricting purposes.” 

To ensure that only citizens are factored into the count for allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes, House Republicans passed the Equal Representation Act. At a time when our nation is facing an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration, the Democrat-controlled Senate needs to do what’s right and send the Equal Representation Act to the president’s desk.

Confidence in elections is a fundamental, central thread in the fabric of democracy. House Republicans are working around the clock to advance legislation to help ensure that Americans trust that what happens on election day is reflected in the results. As your voice in Washington, I will continue fighting back against the Left’s efforts to create a system that helps them influence the outcome of elections.