(PatriotNews.net) – At the Republican National Convention, Representatives Claudia Tenney and Anthony D’Esposito from New York, along with Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, spoke about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This act would require states to verify proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections. Republicans are pushing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to advance this bill, arguing it is essential for election integrity, but it has been stalled in the Senate.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, called election integrity the key issue of the 2024 election cycle. She noted that only five Democrats supported the SAVE Act, which aims to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote by requiring proof of citizenship during registration and removing non-citizens from voter rolls. Tenney emphasized, “One citizen, one vote,” stating that allowing non-citizens to vote undermines democracy.
Tenney criticized the Democrats, saying, “198 Democrats voted for non-citizen voting in our elections.” She stressed the importance of protecting the right to vote and maintaining the integrity of elections.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito also criticized Schumer for not bringing the bill to a vote, citing over 10 million known illegal border crossings during the Biden administration. D’Esposito said the SAVE Act would help address this issue by ensuring only citizens vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet called for a vote on the SAVE Act. Tenney urged him to prioritize the bill if he cares about democracy and the rule of law. Schumer’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen also spoke on the issue. He pointed out that Biden’s Executive Order 14019, which promotes access to voting, requires federal agencies to send out voter registration information without verifying citizenship. Allen argued that voter registration should be managed by the states, not the federal government, to ensure election integrity.
Allen mentioned efforts to obtain data on non-citizens from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to maintain accurate voter rolls. He expressed frustration that the agency has denied access to this data but vowed to keep pushing for it.
At the convention, Allen discussed the SAVE Act with House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging continued support for the bill. He called on Schumer to reconsider and bring the bill to a vote, emphasizing that only American citizens should vote in American elections.
