Rep. Roy introduces bill to stop D.C. from funding illegal alien voting

WASHINGTON—  On Wednesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) introduced a bill (H.R. 9557) to stop the District of Columbia from using federal funds to allow non-citizens to vote in any election.

Rep. Roy’s bill comes after the D.C. city government recently passed a measure that would allow illegal aliens to vote in local elections. The bill was first introduced in the Senate by Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Rep. Roy said:

The privilege and duty to vote this Republic’s elections is, and should remain, reserved for citizens. The D.C. Council’s recent effort to allow non-citizens to vote is just another example of the radical left’s insane and reckless governance of our nation’s capital, which has also precipitated riots, lawlessness, and a homelessness crisis in recent years. It is high time for Congress to reassert its constitutional control over DC; that’s why I'm proud to work with my longtime friend Senator Cruz to restore common sense to its elections.

Sen. Cruz said:

“Voting is a distinct right and privilege that American citizens enjoy in the United States. It is a responsibility, not to be treated lightly, and it must be protected. Voters decide not only who will lead our country, our cities and communities, but also how our tax dollars should be spent and what policies we should adopt. Even the Washington Post agrees that non-citizen voting is a terrible idea. Allowing non-citizens and illegal immigrants to vote in our elections opens our country up to foreign influence, and allows those who are openly violating U.S. law or even working for hostile foreign governments to take advantage and direct our resources against our will.”

House co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Dan Bishop, Ann Wagner, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Pete Sessions, Bob Good, Gary Palmer, Brian Babin, and Ted Budd.

Organizations in support include NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Heritage Action for America.

NumbersUSA said:

"The D.C. Council's move to allow noncitizens to vote in D.C. elections defies both common sense and good governance. Beyond the absurdity of the leaders in Washington, D.C. begging for Federal assistance with their recent "surge" of 8,200 illegal aliens while simultaneously offering them the right to vote if they come, it is totally unconscionable that the district that serves as the seat of our Federal government would actively work to dilute the votes of American citizens with the votes of all resident foreign nationals, including the embassy staff who live and work in D.C. on behalf of governments like Russia and China. We applaud Congressman Roy for working to stop this absurd policy and protect the voting rights of all Americans in the District of Columbia.”

FAIR said:

"Two and a half centuries ago, our nation was founded on the principle that sovereign people should determine their own destinies. In October, the city council of our Nation’s capital fundamentally violated that founding principle in an effort to empower noncitizens – including illegal aliens and employees at embassies of governments that are openly hostile to the United States – to determine the outcome of local elections. The right to vote is at the very core of the principle of self-determination and what it means to be a citizen. This action of the D.C. city council, and a mayor who refused to veto it, is the next and most damaging step in an ongoing effort to erase any distinction between American citizens and noncitizens. We applaud Congressman Roy for stepping up to the plate in an effort to address this radical measure.”

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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