Pfluger Bill to Block Noncitizens from Voting in D.C. Passes the U.S. House

"M. Speaker, 

I rise in support of H.R. 192, my bill to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.

Our Founding Fathers envisioned a healthy, functioning republic with D.C. as the epicenter. 

The federal district is special, and it is Congress through the Constitution that our founders entrusted with its care. Specifically, “exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,” over the District.

We bear responsibility for the good and bad. In this case, the D.C. City Council has made a short-sighted decision that I fear could be a harbinger across the country. The D.C. City Council has moved to allow noncitizens—including illegal aliens and foreign agents—to vote in local D.C. elections. In fact, not only are they allowed to vote, they are encouraged. Just take a look at this flyer sent out across the district encouraging non-citizens to vote for Mayor, Attorney General, members of the State Board of Education, and more.

Some may argue that these are “just” local elections. Yes, they are local elections, but they are democratic elections that regularly determine taxation, the criminal code, and the election of the very city council members who decide ordinances like who gets the right to vote. Not to mention, many local elections are decided by close margins. 

I find it inconceivable that this City Council, and now many other City Councils across the country, would intentionally dilute the voting power of their constituents (many of them from underserved communities) for noncitizens who otherwise would not meet residency requirements, don’t pay taxes, in some cases broke our laws to enter this country, and could even be employed by a foreign adversary. 

As the Capital of our democracy, D.C. ought to be leading the way in safe and secure elections—not incentivizing the exact practices our adversaries will relish.

Look beyond the Democrats’ calls for this bill to be deemed discriminatory or false claims about its intended purpose. I’m asking my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to look ahead. 

Free and fair elections are a prerequisite for a healthy republic. Noncitizen voting, whether it is one vote or one million votes, dilutes the voting power of the citizen voter. 

Congress must act clearly and decisively to bar noncitizens from voting in any election. We must keep American elections American by ensuring all voters are American citizens, and it starts with D.C."