Democrats and Republicans Clash This Week Over Noncitizen Voting in Washington DC

In a contentious showdown expected this week in Washington, D.C., Democrat House leadership is urging members to vote against a Republican bill that would block a district law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, as reported by Axios on Sunday.

This trend has occurred multiple times in the 118th Congress as House Republicans use their majority to try to overturn progressive laws enacted by the district.

These clashes have created challenges for vulnerable Democrats as Republicans target those who oppose repealing district laws on crime and immigration as the November election approaches.

The upcoming vote, expected on Wednesday or Thursday, will be the second attempt by House Republicans to overturn noncitizen voting in the district. In February last year, the House voted 260-162 to repeal the law, but it did not receive Senate approval.

In that House vote, 42 Democrats supported the GOP bill.

Even though the current bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate or be signed into law by President Joe Biden, Republicans view the raised issues as advantageous for their campaigns.

According to National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Will Reinert, Democrats are “already on the record supporting giving illegal migrants the right to vote and any change in their position is just disgusting election-year politics.”

The whip team, aiming to rally as many Democrats as possible to vote against the bill, highlights that “16 other jurisdictions across the U.S. have implemented similar provisions” permitting noncitizen voting. Additionally, “almost all House Democrats have previously supported D.C.’s right to self-governance and statehood,” as reported by Axios.