A group of Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), have introduced a plan that would strip federal funds from cities and states that allow foreign nationals to vote in municipal and statewide elections.
Rubio, along with Sens Steve Daines (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), and James Lankford (R-OK), introduced the legislation titled “Protecting Our Democracy by Preventing Foreign Citizens from Voting Act” that would:
- Strip federal funds to state or local governments that give foreign nationals the right to vote in any federal, state, or local elections.
- Require state and local governments to certify that they do not allow foreign nationals to vote in elections before receiving federal funds.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) is introducing a similar plan in the House.
“It’s ridiculous that states are allowing foreign citizens to vote,” Rubio said in a statement. “However, if states and localities do let those who are not U.S. citizens to vote in elections, they shouldn’t get U.S. citizen taxpayer money.”
“Allowing non-citizens to vote in our elections makes a mockery of U.S. citizenship,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Some Americans were born here, and some immigrated here legally, but no citizen should have his or her vote nullified by a foreign citizen’s ballot.”
The legislation comes after Democrats on the New York City Council approved a plan that gives voting rights in municipal elections to nearly a million foreign nationals. The plan means that foreign nationals who have lived at least 30 days in New York City are now eligible to vote.
New York Republicans have vowed to fight the plan in court, arguing that the state’s constitution makes explicitly clear that voting rights are only afforded to American citizens.
“Sadly, far-left states and cities have moved to disenfranchise Americans by allowing non-citizens to participate in our elections. This must be stopped,” Daines said.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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