‘Xenophobic Attack’: Summer Lee Blasts GOP Bill Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote
During House floor remarks on Wednesday, Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) spoke against H.R.8281 - Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
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Transcript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we say that the right to vote is under attack, we're not talking
00:04about hypotheticals. It is under attack right now, right here, with this very bill. Republicans
00:11want to throw up barriers because when people vote, they lose. Let me be clear, they don't
00:16want you to vote. They don't want to hear black voices, brown voices, LGBTQIA voices,
00:22young voices. Our fundamental access to our democracy is being politicized. And this xenophobic
00:27attack that we're debating today will make it harder for Americans to vote. My Republican
00:32colleagues will claim that requiring IDs is a small ask, but nearly 30 million people
00:37lack a valid driver's license. And about 15 to 18 million adults don't have access to
00:42documents proving their birth or citizenship. Americans don't need more obstacles. It's
00:47already hard enough. That's why I'm proud to have introduced the Right to Vote Act with
00:51my colleagues, Assistant Leader Neguse and Senator Ossoff. This bill would enshrine people's
00:56rights to vote and prohibit governments on all levels from restricting that right with
01:00bills like this one. This bill is part of the Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act. And along
01:04with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, these acts...
01:08Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask permission to continue to allow the gentlelady another
01:1530 seconds.
01:16Gentlelady is recognized for 30 seconds.
01:18Thank you. This bill, which is a part of the Freedom to Vote Act, and along with the John
01:22Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, are the types of bills we should be bringing to the
01:25floor. Not this nonsense. Every day that we let right-wing Republicans pass laws like
01:30this that restrict ballot access, reducing polling stations in black neighborhoods, or
01:34drown out our voices with big-money campaigns, we fail the American people. And for that
01:38reason, I urge my colleagues to oppose this harmful legislation. I yield back.