Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On How The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Millions Of American Voters, Says It Is Dead On Arrival In The Senate

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today spoke on the Senate floor on the SAVE Act, which would function as a modern day Jim Crow, disenfranchising millions of Americans. Leader Schumer said the legislation is dead on arrival in the Senate. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

As Americans struggle with high costs, fewer jobs, and endless chaos from Donald Trump, House Republicans are choosing to spend their time this week on federalizing Jim Crow.

Republicans bristle, the right-wing bristles, every time I say that the SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. They don't like it because sometimes the truth hurts. While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low income Americans and people of color.

This is the truth: the SAVE Act is not a mainstream bill whatsoever. It's a fringe piece of legislation that has now taken over the Republican party, masquerading as election security when it's really about laying the groundwork to meddle in the midterm elections, and make it much harder for people to vote.

Here are just some of the nasty reasons the SAVE Act is as extreme as it gets. Number one: the SAVE Act includes such extreme voter registration requirements that if enacted could disenfranchise 21 million American citizens. 21 million-that is more than 10%, significantly more than 10%, of the people who vote.

Number two: millions of American citizens-millions-don't have access to the paperwork that SAVE would require and would be in danger of getting shut out of our democracy. For example, if you're one of the 50% of Americans who doesn't have a passport, or if you're one of the tens of millions of Americans who can't quickly access your birth certificate, the SAVE Act could, in effect, take away your right to vote.

Number three, the SAVE Act would gut tried-and-true methods of voter registration, including registration by mail and registering online. That means our service members overseas could get shut out. That means Americans who have trouble leaving their homes could get shut out. That means rural Americans could be shut out of our democracy.

The SAVE Act would introduce the 21^st century equivalent of a democracy that tolerates literacy tests and asks people to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar. And for what reason? Because Donald Trump to this day lies about the 2020 election, and Republicans in the House-dutiful lemmings to the end-eagerly enable his lies and push radical bills pretending they care about election security.

The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate. Democrats will not sign our names to this radical piece of legislation that takes away the right to vote from tens of millions of American citizens.

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