Speech #1030031555

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2. the socalled National Voter Registration Act. This legislation is an invitation to electoral fraud. In fact. it should be called the Illegal Alien Voter Registration Act. Despite its benign name. this pernicious bill would make it nearly impossible to prevent ineligible peopleincluding Illegal aliensfrom voting. The bill actually prevents States from regularly purging their voter registration lists to eliminate "tombstone voters." or to stop other vote scams where ineligible people take advantage of inaccurate voter lists to steal the right to vote. This will make it even easier for organized vote theft operations to cynically use illegal aliens in vote fraud schemes. One would think that the commonsense Republican amendment offered todaywhich simply states that "nothing in this Act shall be construed to preclude a State from requiring presentation of documentary evidence of the citizenship of an applicant for voter registration"-would have been adopted easily. I find it difficult to believe that a majority in Congress would make It easier for noncitizens to register to vote. but that is what has happened today. But Mr. Speaker. those of us who live in California see all too clearly. and all too often. the pernicious effects on our community from welfaresubsidized illegal immigration. With Californias current budget crisis. we simply cannot afford to allow illegal aliens to vote. Instead of encouraging vote fraud. we should be encouraging civic responsibility from an educated citizenry. To this very end. California has already initiated several outreach programs to ensure that every citizen who wishes to vote has ample opportunity to register. California now allows residents to register by mail. at both State and Federal agencies. and even at fastfood restaurants. We simply dont need the Illegal Alien Voter Registration Act. or motorvoter. as its apologists call it. We should continue to encourage as many Americans to vote as possible. But we must vehemently oppose any automatic registration scheme that in effect invalidates the votes of honest. lawabiding Americans.