Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued a statement following his vote against the SAVE America Act.
“Today, I voted against Republicans’ latest attempt to disenfranchise millions of Americans. Republicans claim this bill is about election security, but federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting. Instead, the SAVE America Act creates unnecessary barriers by requiring passports or birth certificates to register to vote, rather than driver’s licenses, state IDs, or military IDs.
“This would create a logistical nightmare for millions of eligible voters, including roughly 69 million women who changed their name after marriage and could no longer use a birth certificate alone to prove citizenship—forcing them to either pay $130 for a passport or submit additional burdensome paperwork to register to vote.
“The bill would also effectively gut mail and online voter registration, requiring Americans to present documents in person to an election official. This disproportionately burdens servicemembers stationed overseas, rural Americans, and seniors.
“Perhaps most alarming, the SAVE America Act would force states to hand over voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, unnecessarily injecting federal law enforcement into states’ voting processes and intimidating lawful voters.
“To maintain fair and secure elections, we need to protect voting rights—not create additional barriers for eligible U.S. citizens. I will continue to fight against these attacks on our democracy and work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure equal access to the ballot box.”
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