U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum Opposes Republican Voter Suppression Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 1383, the SAVE America Act. Congresswoman Betty McCollum voted no on the legislation. After the vote, Congresswoman McCollum issued the following statement:

"Under the United States constitution, states are responsible for conducting elections. To date, American elections are safe, secure, and fair. As we celebrate 250 years of American democracy, Congress should be following Minnesota's lead and working to encourage more Americans to vote rather than putting up roadblocks to the ballot box.

"Republicans' so-called SAVE America Actwould disenfranchise millions of Americans - especially women - through a federal takeover of state election administration that makes it more difficult to vote. Under the guise of election integrity, this bill would require every American to provide burdensome 'documentary proof of citizenship,' similar to what Minnesotans already rejected, in order to participate in federal elections. REAL IDs, Tribal IDs, and military IDs alone do not meet this bill's extreme criteria. This creates an indirect poll tax, because nearly half of Minnesotans don't have a passport. Almost seventy million American women - one out of four Americans - would face an additional burden to register to vote simply because they changed their last name after marriage. Simply put, this Republican bill is about voter suppression."