by Natalia Mittelstadt
Ahead of the November election, Republicans imposed challenging votes on Democrats that could hurt their chances in the election. From election security to law enforcement to illegal immigration, House Republicans passed bills that a majority of House Democrats voted against, despite Americans’ widespread concerns about the issues.
According to the Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights in March and taking into account a number of top concerns, 45 percent of likely voters said inflation/price increases, 44 percent said illegal immigration and 24 percent said economy/jobs.
The rest of the top 10 issues were abortion rights at 22 percent, crime/violence at 22 percent, government corruption at 20 percent, climate change at 19 percent, access to health care at 18 percent, and public debt/spending. government at 16 percent and national security at 16 percent.
According to a January survey hosted by McLaughlin & Associates and published by Conservatives Tea Party Patriots Action86 percent of voters want only U.S. citizens to be able to vote in elections, and 87 percent of voters believe that proof of U.S. citizenship should be required to vote in elections.
Despite Americans’ concerns that only U.S. citizens vote in elections, Democrats overwhelmingly voted against a bill on the issue, saying it is not an issue Republicans are using to undermine the 2024 presidential election. Hill he went as far as calling the bill “insidious.”
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the act repeal Washington’s 2022 bill that allows noncitizens to vote in local elections. The final vote was 262-143. 52 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the admission bill, 143 Democrats voted against the bill and 18 did not vote.
The House Administration Committee on Thursday also passed legislation requiring it proof of American citizenship register to vote in federal elections.
While committee hearing last week regarding the bills, Republican Joe Morelle, D-Y., said Republicans were using the word “no-issue” to explain why former President Donald Trump would lose the 2024 presidential election. “This hearing is intended to preemptively cover up Donald Trump’s lies.” Morelle said. “The hearing is not about law and order. It’s about laying the foundations for the next big lie. The point is to say that illegal voting is the cause of electoral defeat.”
Also during the previous committee hearingCommittee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said there are 500 non-U.S. citizens registered to vote in Washington.
In recent years, these were thousands of foreigners found on state voter rolls nationwide.
Meanwhile, amid the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, House Republicans introduced several law enforcement and border bills to the House floor this month, which most Democrats rejected.
Democratic majority in the House of Representatives voted against The DC CRIMES Act of 2024 from earlier this month, which was a bill that lowered the age a juvenile perpetrator up to 18 out of 24 years of age. One sec 207 Republicans voted for the bill and no one voted against it, only 18 Democrats voted for it, with 181 against. The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee earlier this month.
For Resolution of the Chamber entitled, “Condemning the Biden border crisis and the resulting enormous burdens facing law enforcement officers”, 208 Republicans I voted for thiswith no one against, while only 15 Democrats voted for the adoption, with 185 votes against and one present.
The An act to detain and deport illegal aliens who assault police officers was adopted by the House of 211 Republicans voted in favor of this resolution, no votes against, and 54 Democrats voted for adoption, with 148 against. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain undocumented immigrants who assault law enforcement officers or first responders. Earlier this month, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The LEOSA Reform Act passed the House with 208 Republican voters for the adoption of the bill, no one voted against, 16 Democrats voted for it, with 185 against. A bill that would allow qualified dynamic and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month.
The Act on the police on our border passed 209 Republicans in the House of Representatives with none against, 45 Democrats in favor and 157 against. The Bill would require Attorney General Merrick Garland to submit a report to Congress 180 days after its passage “on the impact of the Biden border crisis on law enforcement officers.” Earlier this month, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In the wake of Democratic votes against the bills during National Police Week, The House GOP criticized them in a statement that said: “Far left Democrat in the House of Representatives[s] voted overwhelmingly against these bills, once again confirming that they are the Lawless Party. In particular, 148 far-left Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against a bill to deport illegal immigrants who assault police officers.”
In March, 214 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 37 Democrats passed the Laken Riley Act, which would require DHS to detain undocumented immigrants “arrested for burglary, larceny, larceny, or shoplifting” and would authorize “states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.” The bill died in the Senate. There was a bill named after Laken RileyA 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered in February on the University of Georgia campus, allegedly by an illegal immigrant.
For weeks, Biden refused to address this crime and, under pressure, he did so she finally admitted to her death in his 2024 State of the Union address, but he called it “Lincoln” instead of “Laken.”
Last year, the Chamber adopted the so-called Act on the protection of persons born alive after abortion, which would require health care workers to care for a baby born alive after an attempted abortion. The the act was passed with 219 Republicans voting for it, none against and one Democrat voting for it, with 210 votes against and one voter present. The bill died in the Senate.
In May last year, the Chamber adopted the so-called Secure the 2023 Border BillWith 219 Republicans voted for it, two against and 211 Democrats. A bill that would have placed limits on asylum eligibility and required employers to operate an electronic verification system to determine employee eligibility when hiring failed in the Senate.
It is not yet known whether voters will be swayed one way or the other in lower-ticket elections, given the Democratic Party’s voting record, where GOP operatives could likely hit a nerve with some of these voters.
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Natalia graduated from Regent University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and administration.
Cover photo “US Capitol Building” by Michael Judkins.
