WASHINGTON — In a decisive move, the House of Representatives voted to pass legislation introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) that rejects the D.C. City Council’s resolution permitting noncitizens to vote in local elections. The bill passed with a vote of 262-143, with all 143 opposing votes coming from Congressional Democrats.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressed strong disapproval of the D.C. City Council’s policy and lauded the passage of the bill. In his statement following the vote, Speaker Johnson emphasized the importance of reserving voting rights exclusively for American citizens.
“Under no circumstance should anyone other than American citizens decide any American elections,” said Johnson. “The radical policy from the D.C. city council to allow noncitizens to decide local elections is anti-American and dilutes the constitutional rights of D.C. residents.”
Johnson criticized the 143 Democrats who voted against the bill, suggesting that their stance could potentially open the door for noncitizens, including foreign adversaries, to influence elections.
“This should have been a unanimous vote. Instead, 143 Congressional Democrats voted today to allow Russian spies, Chinese diplomats, and illegal aliens to influence elections in the Nation’s Capital. It is shameful,” Johnson added.
The House Speaker also warned that if the policy were successful, it could be used by progressive Democrats as a precedent to encourage noncitizen voting in other communities across the United States.
“Make no mistake, if it were successful, progressive Democrats would use this experiment as justification to encourage noncitizen voting in more communities across the country. Congress has a responsibility to prevent this, and the Senate must immediately send this bill to the President’s desk.”
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where its future will be determined.