The Democrat Party is completely unhinged. They’ll never admit that though.
And you won’t believe what these House Democrats just voted in favor of.
In a decisive move on Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 266 to 148 to pass a bill, spearheaded by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), that prohibits non-U.S. citizens from casting ballots in Washington, D.C. elections.
The legislation, which garnered support from 56 Democrats alongside Republicans, reflects a push to assert congressional authority over the nation’s capital. One Democrat voted “present,” while 148 radical Leftists opposed the measure, basically signaling that they approve of non-citizens voting in local elections.
The vote comes in response to D.C.’s Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, a progressive city council initiative that allows non-citizens who have resided in the district for at least 30 days to vote in local elections and even hold local elected office. This policy has sparked heated debate, with Republican lawmakers, particularly those focused on national security, warning of potential risks, such as foreign agents influencing D.C.’s electoral process.
Republican Concerns
Rep. Pfluger, in an interview with Fox News Digital before the vote, expressed confidence in bipartisan support, citing the 52 Democrats who backed a similar bill in the previous Congress. “It’s hard to go back to your district as a Democrat and say, yeah, I want foreign agents to be able to vote in our elections – ‘Oh yeah, it’s not federal elections,’ some may say. But it has an impact on the way the city is run,” he said.
Pfluger emphasized the potential for individuals like “Russian embassy personnel” or “Chinese embassy personnel” to exploit the local law, arguing, “This could be Russian embassy personnel, they could be Chinese embassy personnel – a number of folks. It’s just wrong. It goes against the fabric of our society.”
Leftist Pushback on Federal Overreach
On the other side, progressive Democrats, including Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), fiercely opposed the bill, arguing it infringes on D.C.’s autonomy. During House floor debate, Frost dismissed Republican concerns as exaggerated, calling it “highly unlikely” that foreign officials would participate in local elections.
“Republicans claim that Congress has a constitutional duty to legislate on local D.C. matters, but this is historically and legally incorrect. Republicans legislate on local D.C. matters only when they think they can score political points, such as by demonizing immigrants,” Frost stated.
He further argued that foreign officials would need to “renounce their right to vote in their home country” and that “D.C. has no authority in federal matters,” rendering such scenarios implausible.
Balancing Jurisdiction and Local Autonomy
Pfluger acknowledged the tension over federal involvement in D.C. governance, noting, “I believe strongly in not having federal overreach, but we have jurisdiction, Congress has jurisdiction over Washington, District of Columbia…and we don’t like to utilize our jurisdiction and our authority, but in this case, they’ve gone too far.”
Despite passing the House, the bill’s fate remains uncertain, as it was not taken up by the previously Democrat-controlled Senate after a similar vote in the last Congress.
Additional Legislation for D.C. Police
In addition to the voting measure, the House considered another bill on Tuesday, introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), aimed at bolstering D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
The legislation would allow police to negotiate punishments through collective bargaining and establish a statute of limitations to shield the department from certain liabilities.
The passage of Pfluger’s bill marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over D.C.’s electoral policies, balancing local autonomy against national security concerns, with both sides digging in on their vision for the capital’s future.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
