House Republicans are advancing a resolution condemning socialism that also urges passage of the SAVE America Act, putting moderate Democrats in the position of opposing a measure whose anti-socialism language some support because it also endorses documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voter registration.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Republicans are moving forward with a resolution that pairs a broad condemnation of socialism with support for legislation requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, setting up a politically charged House vote ahead of the midterms.
The four-page resolution could reach the floor as soon as Tuesday and condemns socialism “in all its forms, including the Democratic Socialists of America,” while calling for enactment of the SAVE America Act, Axios reported.
The combination has drawn objections from several moderate Democrats who say they would support a stand-alone resolution opposing socialism but will not vote for a measure that also endorses the Republican-backed election legislation.
“This isn’t a serious bill,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., told Axios.
“If you actually want to take on socialism instead of playing political games, you don’t slip in the SAVE [America] Act as a poison pill that you know no Democrat will vote for.”
The Republican resolution explicitly “calls for the enactment of the SAVE America Act to ensure election security, increase public confidence in America’s voting system, and close loopholes in order to prevent noncitizens from voting in elections.”
The SAVE America Act would require people registering to vote in federal elections to provide documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship.
Democrats have broadly opposed the proposal, arguing that eligible citizens who do not possess passports or other qualifying documents could encounter new barriers to registering.
Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections and provides criminal penalties that can include fines and imprisonment.
Democrats Tried to Remove SAVE America Act Language
Gottheimer joined Democratic Reps. Hillary Scholten of Michigan, Tom Suozzi of New York and Jared Moskowitz of Florida in seeking to strip the SAVE America Act language from the resolution while preserving its condemnation of socialism.
The Republican-controlled House Rules Committee declined to consider their proposed amendment and advanced the resolution in its existing form.
The decision effectively forces lawmakers to cast a single vote on both propositions rather than separately deciding whether to condemn socialism and whether to endorse the SAVE America Act.
That has become a particular problem for centrist Democrats who have previously criticized socialist organizations or supported anti-socialism resolutions.
Gottheimer, who has repeatedly fought with members of the Democratic Socialists of America, said his opposition to the combined measure should not be interpreted as support for the organization.
He has “been clear that I don’t think the DSA are Democrats.”
“They’re against our leadership, they’re against our values, and they’re running on an extremist platform,” Gottheimer told Axios.
Moderate Democrats Call Measure a Political Maneuver
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., also said he supports condemning socialism but objects to linking that issue with the Republican election legislation.
“I’ve voted against socialism before. I’m for a clean anti-socialism resolution,” Peters told Axios, adding that he wants to “go nowhere near” the SAVE America Act.
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., who chairs the center-left New Democrat Coalition, said Republicans had structured the resolution around the voting legislation rather than socialism itself.
“It’s not a socialism resolution. They can call it whatever they want, it’s a ‘Save the SAVE Act’ [resolution],” Schneider said.
“They can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still their voter suppression bill,” he added.
Republicans, meanwhile, argue that proof-of-citizenship requirements would strengthen election security, increase public confidence and provide an additional safeguard against noncitizen voting.
The language of the resolution frames those provisions as complementary to its broader criticism of socialism and its call for protecting American political institutions.
Golden Signals Support Despite Previous SAVE America Act Vote
Not every Democrat opposed to the SAVE America Act plans to reject the resolution.
Retiring Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, said he would probably support it even though he voted against the SAVE America Act in February.
Golden said he is “not going to let that muddy the water.”
His position illustrates the political calculation lawmakers face as Republicans combine two separate issues — opposition to socialism and voter citizenship requirements — into one floor vote.
For Democrats who have publicly distanced themselves from socialist organizations, voting against the resolution could expose them to Republican criticism over the anti-socialism portion. Voting for it, however, would also put them on record supporting language calling for enactment of the SAVE America Act.
Republicans’ decision to keep both provisions together ensures that the vote will test not only lawmakers’ positions on socialism, but also whether Democrats who oppose the SAVE America Act are willing to reject the broader resolution because of its election-security language.
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