by Frank Holmes, reporter
Even in Washington, D.C., where hypocrisy is a second language, Democrats have gone too far this time.
On the one hand, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser is begging President Joe Biden for relief from the migrant “crisis,” which she says her city’s been suffering ever since Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a few buses of illegal aliens to the nation’s capital. Bowser, a liberal Democrat, says her sanctuary city can’t take the overflowing illegal population.
But with her left hand, Bowser is about to sign a bill that would let illegal aliens vote in local D.C. elections.
Talk about confusion!
A spokeswoman for the immigration reform group NumbersUSA pointed out “the absurdity of the leaders in Washington, D.C. begging for Federal assistance with their recent ‘surge’ of 8,200 illegal aliens while simultaneously offering them the right to vote if they come.”
It is “totally unconscionable that the district that serves as the seat of our Federal government would actively work to dilute the votes of American citizens with the votes of all resident foreign nationals, including the embassy staff who live and work in D.C. on behalf of governments like Russia and China.”
But that’s exactly what Bowser is set to do.
The city council passed D.C. Bill (B) 24-0300 by a vote of 12-1 back in October, allowing non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections. The only condition is, they have to live in town for 30 days.
To put that in perspective, New York City passed a similar law last year—which was struck down by the state Supreme Court in June—but its version required illegal immigrants to live in the Big Apple 60 days before they could vote.
That set wrong with one Democratic member of city council. “I find it unacceptable to say that somebody who has had no connection at all with the United States, with its culture, its democracy, can be dropped off here, reside for 30 days, and vote in a local election,” said Mary Cheh, the only members to vote no. “What is wrong with asking they stay a little bit longer?”
That was just one of several objections that came from unexpected corners. The Washington Post said the measure “presents logistical nightmares that will require the Board of Elections to print separate ballots so that noncitizens don’t vote in federal races.” Then again, maybe getting illegal aliens to vote in national elections is the point.
Whatever their goal, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) decided it’s too hypocritical—so he’s introduced a bill to shut it down.
Under the bill’s terms, to receive any kind of federal funding, “the District of Columbia shall certify that the government does not permit individuals who are not citizens of the United States to vote in any election.”
That’s going to make a dent, because federal funds are the only thing keeping D.C. running. The District of Columbia gets almost half of its budget—or $4.7 billion—from the U.S. government. Look for Bowser to play ball if Cruz’s bill ever becomes law.
He’s not the only senator hot under the collar about letting foreigners make decisions in our nation’s capital. “Allowing illegal immigrants to vote is an insult to every voter in America,” said Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who called Bowser’s bill an “insane policy.”
Senator Cotton’s bill would invoke the D.C. Home Rule Act to strike down the policy altogether.
Voters decide not only who will lead our country, our cities and communities, but also how our tax dollars should be spent and what policies we should adopt. Even the Washington Post agrees that non-citizen voting is a terrible idea. 2/x
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) November 18, 2022
Patriots in the immigration movement spoke out, too. “Our nation was founded on the principle that sovereign people should determine their own destinies,” said a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
”Our nation’s capital fundamentally violated that founding principle in an effort to empower noncitizens.” He called Bowser’s actions “the next and most damaging steps in an ongoing effort to erase any distinction between American citizens and noncitizens.”
Rosemary Jenks @NumbersUSA: “The D.C. Council’s move to allow noncitizens to vote in D.C. elections defies both common sense & good governance… We applaud Sen. Cruz for working to stop this absurd policy & protect the voting rights of all Americans in the District of Columbia.” https://t.co/VWgDisacHH
— Andrew Good (@Drewbueno) November 22, 2022
Of course, not everyone opposes Bowser’s hypocrisy… or even acknowledges it. The Los Angeles Times falsely says anyone claiming that illegal aliens vote in U.S. elections is spreading “a racist myth.”
Illegal immigrants already impact the elections nationwide in another way: Since the Census counts non-citizens, their population shifted five congressional seats away from Ohio, Michigan, Alabama, Minnesota, and West Virginia to California, Texas (two each), and New York.
“Illegal immigrants alone in the 2020 (Census) will redistribute three seats, with Ohio, Alabama, and Minnesota each having one fewer seat than they otherwise would have had, while California, New York, and Texas will have one additional seat,” according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
Can a “sanctuary city” invite illegal aliens to move in, work the worst jobs, use their bodies to leverage extra federal funding in the Census, and vote in their elections… and then beg the federal government to bail them out when illegal immigrants take them up on their offer? What do you think the Democrats are really up to?
Frank Holmes is a veteran journalist and an outspoken conservative that talks about the news that was in his weekly article, “On The Holmes Front.”