Representative Derrick Van Orden (R- WI, 3 rd ) reported a couple of weeks ago that he had voted for H.R. 8281 – the SAVE Act to amend the National Voter Registration Act to assure that only citizens vote in federal elections. SAVE is the acronym for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility. Van Orden not only voted for it, he was one of 104 cosponsors for this bill.

While the main thrust of this bill is to assure only citizens can vote in federal elections, it also requires states to clean their voter rolls of non-citizens. As Van Orden reported, “eighty per cent of Americans believe that only U.S. citizens should be voting in U.S. elections.”

This is just plain common sense! If you belong to an organization you don’t want non-members voting on your business matters. If you are a stockholder in a business, you don’t want non-stock holders voting on your business matters. If you are a member of a faith organization, you don’t want unknown persons walking in off the street to vote on church business. So, why would you want non-citizens voting for the President or your federal legislators?

This is a serious situation given the great influx of illegal immigrants flooding across the southern border and some cities are already allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. The Democrats think these illegal immigrants will equate to votes for them!

Most Democrats voted for party over patriotism. In the House, the vote was 221 to 198 with 14 not voting. The vote was along party lines except for five Democrats that voted with the Republican majority. The Wisconsin delegation voted five for and two against along party lines (the 8 th Congressional District is without representation after a recent resignation).

An identical bill has been introduced in the Senate with 21 cosponsors to include Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson (R-WI). According to my recent online search, it has been introduced in the Senate and referred to Committee; but I thought I had heard it was already dead in the Senate. This could be because Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will not bring it up for a vote. Or, it could be simply because the Democrats are the majority party in the Senate.

Since the 2020 election the Wisconsin Legislature has passed a dozen or so bills on election integrity and sent them to the Governor for signature. The Governor, a Democrat, vetoed all but one (his recent redistricting maps). However, both houses of the State Legislature have passed the same referendum question in two consecutive sessions and there will be a Constitutional Amendment on the November 5 th ballot which would reaffirm that only U.S. citizens age 18 and older may vote in any Wisconsin elections.

“We the People” need to speak up. Communicate with Rep Van Orden and compliment him for watching what is happening in the Wisconsin Legislature that impacts his 3 rd District constituents and then thank him for co-sponsoring federal legislation (H.R. 8281) that supports the state efforts. (This is just one of many examples of Van Orden’s good efforts for his constituents in Washington!) Sen Ron Johnson (R-WI) should be thanked for his support of the SAVE Bill (S.4292). Sen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) needs to answer to her constituents where she stands on the issue.

This is campaign season. Don’t stop with the incumbents but ask the candidates too!