Madam president one citizen one vote today this foundational principle is under attack it's under attack because President Biden refuses to enforce the law and now we Face a direct threat to our entire electoral system consider this since President Biden's inauguration on January 20th 2021 over 10 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States now this figure exceeds the populations of 36 States creating a crisis that has been met with troubling silence and inaction from far too many on the other side of the aisle with millions of unauthorized people now on us soil living here in the United States the potential for election fraud through ineligible voting is not just a hypothetical risk no it is a looming reality with the influx of non-citizens under this Administration even if just a fraction let's just say something like one and 100 were to vote this could translate to hundreds of thousands of votes enough to sway our tightly contested elections and potentially alter their outcomes this is deeply concerning considering that recent study showed that non-citizens have ample openings to vote illegally it found that anywhere from 10 to 27% of non-citizens are registered to vote and 5 to 133% of non-citizens do actually vote in presidential elections no less Across the Nation instances abound where states have inadvertently facilitated this very crisis from unsolicited voter regist a forms being mailed out to non-citizens to Driver's Licenses issued without adequate checks practices relying merely on the honesty of illegal aliens have opened up the floodgates to voter fraud while it's true that it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections there are no effective systems in place to verify the citizenship of Voters a mere check on a box is all it takes with little risk of being caught in short you're on the honor System with those forms federal law even prohibits States from requiring proof of citizenship when registering voters via Federal forms so it's not just this that the states aren't doing an adequate job of verifying citizenship as a condition president to registering to a vote in a federal election they're prohibited by law from doing so an increasing number of localities permit non-citizens to vote in local elections and this makes it even worse it it further blurs the distinctions that have there that have historically been meant to protect the Integrity of our elections prominent Democrats have openly discussed these tactics in many instances as beneficial to their agenda as likely to help their political ambition only months ago every Senate Democrat voted to count illegal aliens in the census to help them Shore up more seats in Congress and consequently more votes in the Electoral College this cannot continue it's our responsibility our imperative to close these Gates my bill the save act would ensure uh that this stops because it it would be a a vital stop step in securing the electoral process ensuring that every vote cast is legitimate and every voter is duy recognized and registered and properly brought into the system so that they can vote the save act amends the national voter registration act the same act that was interpreted a few years ago by the Supreme Court as prohibiting the States from requesting any positive proof of citizen citizenship so that states could ensure that only US citizens May participate in federal elections it fixes the nvra if the nvra was interpreted that way this would close that loophole the save act requires states to obtain concrete documentary proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration it specifies acceptable documentation and requires states to establish Alternatives uh Al alter alternative verification processes for those rare instances in which standard documents might be unavailable furthermore the save act compels states to proactively remove non-citizens from voter roles and introduces severe Federal pen penalties for those who intentionally register non-citizens this bill Echoes the sentiments of the American people for from coast to coast it transcends political affiliations with an overwhelming bipartisan super majority of Americans supporting it and it speaks directly to the core of what makes our country great Fair free and secure elections operating within our constitutional republic this is about protecting our elections from foreign interference something might democratic a colleagues claim to care about and long have if we truly want our elections to be free of foreign interference then by all means pass the save act let's pass it today let's pass it right now so for those of my colleagues who are opposed to this why aren't they concerned with the ability of tens of millions of foreign Nationals non citizens in the United States to vote in America why should we allow tens of millions of foreign Nationals who are not citizens in the United States to vote in US elections now if the Biden Administration insists on keeping America's border open as to my great dismay it has for the entirety of the three and a half years or so Biden's been in office they're going to insist on keeping the borders open that by all means they must at least at a bare minimum ensure that none of those non-citizens are interfering in our elections every single day that we delay the foundation of our electoral process erodes a little more we cannot wait for this Administration to enforce the law to enforce the border which they haven't done they continue to refuse to do it more people continue to enter but in the meantime they've let in 10 million illegal aliens you add that to those who are already here an estimated 30 million noncitizens currently reside in the United States but this Administration just keeps right on trucking not doing anything about this problem and in fact this Administration strongly opposes this legislation now let's run through the reasoning the reasoning is really telling there are several arguments raised by the White House in the statement they issued just earlier this week first the White House protests quote it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections it is a federal crime punishable by prison and fines close quote now to be clear that is on its face a correct statement of the law I I won't disagree with the the the statement on its Four Corners but the conclusion is really messed up as I've already stated there's is absolutely no functioning mechanism for enforcing the law and and it's worse than that it's not just that current law doesn't create an adequate enforcement mechanism it's that current law as interpreted by the Supreme Court affirmatively prohibits the States from doing what they would need to do in order to prevent non-citizens from registering to vote and subsequently voting in federal elections contrary to federal law meanwhile doj investigations of illegal voting are all but nonexistent a law without enforcement cannot will not stop illegal behavior and there are many many circumstances in which notwithstanding the fact that the underlying uh uh conduct is criminally prohibited you still need some sort of verification mechanism to make it enforcable by the White House's own logic it'd be unnecessary and perhaps even unwise to have laws requiring a photo ID to buy beer and cigarettes you know we've got these laws on the books after all that already make it a crime to sell beer and cigarettes to children so according to the White House's logic we shouldn't need an additional law requiring age verification with a photo ID now nobody would be that crazy that insane to make that argument there we shouldn't be making it here it's the same argument the exact same argument next in second position the administration makes the unsubstantiated claim that quote the justification for the save Act is based on easily disproven falsehoods close quote end of sentence but then well the administration utterly fails defiantly refuses to offer anything to support that statement it's ironic because that justification for opposing it on grounds that the justification for the save Act is based on disproven falsehoods this is its own disproven falsehood here's nothing there there's no falsehood that's been disproven they have not disproven the fact that non-citizens whether legally or illegally in this country at the time can easily obtain a voter registration eligibility to vote in federal uh elections or the physical ability to do it rather so long as they're willing to check a box and sign their name they don't dispute the fact that in all 50 states and DC a non-citizen can apply for and receive a driver's license or that the national voter registration act uh makes it easy when applying for a driver's license to check a box and sign your name and thereby register to vote in federal elections when you add to that the fact that states are affirmatively legally prohibited based on the Supreme Court's interpretation of the NV a few years ago saying that the states cannot may not must not ask for any kind of documentation to verif ver ify citizenship we've got a problem so for them to say that our justification for the save Act is based on on falsehoods on easily disproven falsehoods is itself easily disproven and it's a falsehood third the administration asserts that quote making a false claim of citizenship or unlawfully voting in an election is punishable by removal from the United States and a permanent bar to admission close quote well this is an interesting argument this one is Rich Mr President coming from this Administration look well it's true that uh the naturalization form has a self-reporting mechanism that ask the applicant if the applicant has ever voted illegally yeah that's true as far as I can tell even when they do self-report in those I suspect rare instances where they do absolutely nothing has been done with that information under the Biden Administration Joe Biden isn't deporting anyone for illegally voting Joe Biden has opened the floodgates and just lets people come in so that's rich coming from this Administration suggesting that there's going to be suddenly rigorous uh uh enforcement of laws governing our border security in this instance when number one they're not doing it and number two everywhere you look they're doing the opposite of that fourth the administration asserts quote States already have effective safeguards in place to verify voters eligibility and maintain the accuracy of voter rules Mr President that assertion is simply Flatout wrong it's just false it's false factually and it's false legally meaning it it is not true and it cannot be true by operation of law for reasons I've just explained states are legally prohibited from requiring proof of citizenship when registering to voters when registering voters for federal elections this I fear May well be a feature not a bug for the administration and a reason for the administration to oppose it tragically we'll get more we'll get back to that more in moment but look this loophole that I'm describing based on the Supreme Court's interpretation of the NV telling states that they may not and must not ask for any kind of evidence of citizenship that's a gaping loophole that we must fix lastly the administration claims that instead of safeguarding our elections this bill with its incredibly generous list of ways to demonstrate citizenship would make it harder for Americans to vote well look the reality is that there's an expansive list of ways to demonstrate citizenship even if you lack the documentation traditionally involved in proving it and keep in mind it's not unusual for Americans to be asked for proof of citizenship every single time an American citizen starts new employment starts a new job they fill out an I9 they've got to provide proof of citizenship and if you're not a citizen you've got to uh show evidence of your visa and your eligibility to work in the United States under that Visa if you can't do that you can't start a job this happens all the time this is not as if the ability to prove citizenship and a requirement that one do so is foreign to us nor is it the case under this bill that would be exceptionally difficult because even if you're one of those rare individuals who for whatever reason doesn't have or have access to a birth certificate or something else that could prove it we've got a long list of other ways that you can do it even if you lack that traditionally utilized documentation this bill allows All American citizens to vote more importantly if enacted it would mean that no American vote could be canceled out by a vote cast illegally by a non-citizen this bill would make it harder to cheat in elections and Ure the Integrity of every ballot lawfully cast there is no valid argument against the Safe Act Mr President none the only reason to oppose this bill would exist if you needed illegal votes to win elections full stop that's it by passing the save act we would send a clear message that in the United States of America voting is not just a privilege of citizenship but a cherished and protected right as debates about election Integrity rage the save act stands out by guaranteeing that only American citizens can have a say in our elections American elections must be decided by American voters full stop so Mr President as if in legislative session I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of HR 8281 which is at the desk further that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table is there an objection reserving the right to object the senator from California Mr President I ask you this how many times do we have to go through this less than two months ago I came down to the floor of the Senate to object to this very same bill expressing concerns asking questions and uh here we are again and nothing has changed so it doesn't matter how many times this bill comes to the floor doesn't matter how many times our Republican colleagues faint outrage over nons citizens unlawfully voting without a shred of evidence it doesn't change the fact that as good as the proponents may make this bill sound or try to make this bill sound it is nothing other than a solution in search of a problem now I speak both as a senator representing California but also as a former Chief elections officer of California where I as the secretaries of State across the country by the way worked alongside tireless election clerks and administrators across the political Spectrum at the state and local level and given that experience I can tell you this there is no credible evidence of a meaningful number of noncitizens voting in our elections in 2016 audits showed that noncitizens accounted for [Music] 0.01% of the vote even the conservative KO Institute has said that quote non-citizens don't illegally vote in detectable numbers end quote I'm glad Senator mentions the national voter registration Act because as he pointed out it was appaled by the Supreme Court of the United States in terms of its guidance of what states can and should do and what they cannot do he also didn't mention that the national vo registration Act was adopted on an overwhelming bipartisan vote of Congress but rather than proposed legislation based on facts this bill would re respond to the alarming allegations that Republicans themselves have fabricated it would create it would create more barriers to exercising the right to vote and would restrict ballot access for even more Americans than is currently the case it would make voting harder for the more than 21 million elgible voters in America who can't easily access their proof of citizenship I don't know about you I'm not in the habit of carrying around my birth certificate or even my passport not everybody has a passport doesn't mean you're not a citizen if you don't carry a passport and I'm not just talking about Democrats or Republicans I'm talking about Americans of both political parties the bill would clearly also disproportionately impact voters and communities of color in addition this bill seeks to undermine faith in our elections by injecting uh fear and uncertainty particularly in an election cycle at a time when our democracy demands more calm and understanding of the Integrity of the process but sen Le and I agree on one thing believe it or not and that is voting is a sacred responsibility and the right to vote in of itself is fundamentally sacred so to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle if you're truly worried about the election and our democracy then ask you this join me join me in passing the freedom to vote act and making sure that all eligible Americans yes only United States citizens can make their voices heard at The Ballot Box without any unnecessary barriers or obstacles it's the most American and the most bipartisan thing that we could do but until then let's be honest with the American people so yes Mr President I object Mr President objection is heard Mr President the senator from Utah I I appreciate how the presiding officer always speaks loud enough so that everyone can hear and the the presiding officer uh also um manages the floor with uh great assertiveness which I also appreciate I'm grateful uh to my friend and colleague this distinguished uh Senator my colleague from California and his thoughtful approach to legislation there are some things that he said that I I I feel that I need to address one of them is uh a reference to uh belief that there is no credible evidence of non-citizens voting at least no credible evidence of non-citizens voting in any significant numbers well there are studies that go exactly the opposite direction studies like the one that I cited just moments ago showing that it is a non-trivial sum such that uh if if even something at the low end of the percentages cited in that study were correct that could easily be enough to sway the outcome of some elections but regardless what my friend is referring to uh has to be taken with a grain of salt considering how things have changed on the ground the numerator and the denominator of that fraction have changed over the last few years where we've now got about 30 million non-citizens living in the United States with about 10 million who have come in who are illegally in the United States now who entered this country unlawfully and are now living in the United States that is not a non-trivial sum when that many people enter the United States that quickly and when you've now got all 50 states and DC that is issue driver's licenses to non-citizens that coupled with the national voter registration Act and the way the national voter registration Act was interpreted a few years ago by the Supreme Court of the United States saying that the state officials who process those Federal forms submitted under the nvra so that people can register to vote in federal elections while applying for their driver's license that creates a toxic soup in in which there's a an environment just ripe with opportunities for foreign interference in US elections you cannot add this many non-citizens legal or illegal legal or illegal uh non-citizens to the United States in this short of a period of time and couple it with that kind of voter registration framework and not anticipate that there will be significant numbers of people who will end up registering to vote some perhaps uh somewhat innocently perhaps others less innocently I don't know but it would be supremely naive and worse than that uh willfully willfully blind to what we all know is going to happen unless we pass this now the House of Representatives passed this bill yesterday which gets to another Point made by my colleague saying that we've been down here over and over and over over again doing this bill I I'm not sure what he's referring to the bill hasn't even been around that long but something material changed yesterday yesterday the house version of the save act which is the version that I'm coming to the floor today to propose the one that I just tried to pass by unanimous consent moments ago before it was met with the objection of the senator from California that bill was passed yesterday less than 24 hours ago by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support I would add not just Republicans over there uh some Democrats who are concerned with very good reason joined with Republicans in order to get this thing passed so to say that this is um an area in which there's no credible evidence of any need to act is science fiction fantasy it is contrary to fact it is contrary to logic it's contrary to our understanding of human nature contrary to our understanding of the national voter registration act and how it's been interpreted by the Supreme Court of the United States and how elections work as to my colleague's suggestion that this is feigned outrage feigned outrage that's animating this nothing could be further from the truth look I I wish this could be faint I wish I had the luxury of this being uh something that we're feigned Mr President this is serious business we lose something we lose something as Americans anytime we certainly anytime we allow our elections to be vulnerable to interference from forces outside the United States including foreign Nationals non- US citizens inside this country when that happens when the public starts to perceive that others are voting in this diluting their votes that has dilus effects on the effective operation of our Republican form of government that are very difficult to recapture once they're lost we can't treat this casually and so look I will be back it's unfortunate that we weren't able to pass this today let me restate the point I made earlier there is not a legitimate reason to oppose this bill we make it incredibly easy under this bill for any American if you are an American citizen you can easily prove your citizenship and you can do it in the way this bill requires and you can still vote it is not hard it is not expensive it need not require uh anyone to spend a dime a nickel or even a penny it just requires you to be an American there is not a legitimate reason to oppose this bill there is not a logical reason to oppose this bill unless of course your objective is different unless of course you are just fine with in and in fact excited about or Reliant upon non-citizens voting that's alarming thank you Mr President