150 Democrats Oppose D.C. Bill Blocking Noncitizen Voting Rights

In a major victory for election integrity, the GOP-led House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday that bans noncitizens from voting in local Washington, D.C. elections despite opposition from nearly 150 Democrats.

The bill, introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), repeals a radical 2022 measure passed by the D.C. Council that allowed foreign nationals including illegal immigrants and foreign agents to cast ballots in local contests. A total of 210 Republicans and 56 Democrats supported the legislation, while 148 Democrats voted against it.

“Free and fair elections are a prerequisite for a healthy republic,” Pfluger said after the vote. “Anyone who voted against this legislation, voted for the transfer of political power away from legal voters.”

The move represents the latest Republican effort to push back against the Left’s ongoing campaign to dilute the power of American citizens at the ballot box. While noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections, progressive strongholds like D.C., California, Maryland, and Vermont have allowed foreign nationals to vote in certain local races effectively undermining the meaning of citizenship itself.

Key points behind the GOP-led legislation:

• The D.C. Council’s 2022 law permitted noncitizens including those in the country illegally to vote for local offices such as mayor and city council.

• Democrats in the Senate previously blocked House efforts to repeal the measure under the Home Rule Act.

• Now, with Republicans in control of both chambers, the Left’s ability to protect these radical policies is quickly eroding.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting delegate, predictably complained that Republicans should instead be focusing on making D.C. a state, saying: “Republicans refuse to make the only election law change D.C. has requested.” Norton’s statement echoes the long-standing Democrat goal to expand their power by granting statehood to D.C., which would all but guarantee additional Senate seats for their party.

While Democrats continue pushing to allow noncitizens to influence American elections, Republicans remain focused on securing the nation’s democratic processes. House Republicans have also pushed for federal legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections a common-sense safeguard that Democrats consistently oppose.

The fight for election security is more critical than ever:

• A Rasmussen poll conducted in May 2024 found that 69% of likely U.S. voters believe only American citizens should vote in U.S. elections.

• At least 16 million illegal immigrants are estimated to be living in the U.S. as of 2024, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), raising serious concerns about potential voting abuses if left unchecked.

• Multiple states continue resisting common-sense voter ID and citizenship verification laws under pressure from the Left and open-borders activists.

In addition to the noncitizen voting ban, the House also passed a bill restoring collective bargaining rights for D.C. police officers and reinstating statutes of limitations for disciplinary cases against members of the Metropolitan Police Department further reversing Democrat-led efforts to weaken law enforcement.

While Democrats fight to open voting booths to foreign nationals, Republicans are standing firm in defense of the most basic principle of American democracy: the right of U.S. citizens and only U.S. citizens to determine the future of their country.

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