McClellan defends Democrats' opposition to SAVE Act, calls it a 'modern poll tax'
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) defended Democrats’ opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, calling it a “modern poll tax” in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday.”
“The devil in that bill is in the details, and the SAVE Act puts barriers on American citizens voting, and actually is a modern poll tax,” she told host Chris Stirewalt on Sunday.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has remained adamant in his support for pairing a continuing resolution with the SAVE Act to fund the government.
Democrats and the White House have said they will block the legislation, noting that noncitizen voting is already illegal and exceedingly rare and that the bill could unduly burden eligible voters.
McClellan noted that the only methods to prove citizenship under the SAVE Act “just happen to be the ones that cost money.”
“You won't be able to use your state driver's license,” she said, adding that the easiest option “you could use is a passport. It costs money. A lot of Americans don't have passports.”
McClellan further noted that it can be difficult for some people to obtain their birth certificates, which can be necessary to prove citizenship, and those who have changed their names — for marriage or other reasons — often struggle to “reconcile that in order to prove their citizenship.”
McClellan said the issue is personal, invoking her family's history with the poll tax.
“Look, I took my oath of office on the Bible in which my father kept his poll tax receipt,” she said. “I am not voting for a modern poll tax just so that they can say they've done something to keep noncitizen voters from doing something that is already illegal, punishable by up to five years in federal prison, and that there's very little evidence is a widespread problem.”
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.
Date: |
-
ABC News - World
German opposition Christian Democrats tap leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor
Germany’s opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union has chosen its leader Friedrich Merz to be its candidate for chancellor in next year’s national electionYesterday - Germany -
The Hill - Politics
Democrats target tax avoidance before cuts expire in 2025
Democrats are going after tax avoidance from big companies and wealthy individuals as the debate on taxes heats up ahead of tax code expirations scheduled for next year. A new set of proposed rules ...9 hours ago -
Yahoo News - World
Iran calls pager explosions in Lebanon 'terrorist act,' blames Israel
23 hours ago - Iran -
The Hill - Politics
Vance calls out Democrats, media after apparent Trump assassination attempt
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) slammed Democrats and the media Tuesday over their rhetoric about former President Trump, just days after the former president faced a second apparent assassination attempt. ...Yesterday - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Biden's climate law got zero GOP votes. Some Republicans think its energy tax credits are worth saving
As President Biden’s signature climate law spurs energy investments in Republican-led districts, many Republican members are getting on board with keeping at least some of its tax credits — ...9 hours ago - Republican Party -
NBC News - Top stories
Trump calls for undoing part of his own tax law, vowing to 'get SALT back'
Donald Trump called for rolling back part of his signature tax law Tuesday, suggesting he would seek to reinstate the state and local tax deduction or SALT.21 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Financial Times - World
Lib Dem call to tax rich more may be a poor pitch to its base
Ed Davey urges Labour to increase spending to ‘winterproof’ the NHS in a strategic move10 hours ago -
BBC News - Top stories
'Is it boasting?' Postecoglou defends 'second-season trophy' remark
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou says his comment about always winning trophies in his second season was "not a boast".Yesterday -
Inc. - Business
How to Be a Modern-Day Warrior Leader
No sword required.11 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
Trump appears at town hall in Michigan; Walz says Trump lost thousands of North Carolina jobs – live
Donald Trump will speak at town hall in Flint; Kamala Harris running mate suggests Trump’s ‘concept’ of a healthcare plan is ‘weak’. As far as the election campaign is concerned, this week the ...19 hours ago - Donald Trump
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Why I am an evangelical for Harris
One of our chief criteria for evaluating and choosing our leaders are the teachings of Jesus calling us to help the vulnerable.22 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Big Lots: 47 more stores across 19 states to close; total closures surpass 300
With these new additions, there are now more than 300 Big Lots stores slated for closure.32 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Watch live: JD Vance woos voters in battleground North Carolina
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump's running mate, will speak in North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. Vance is working to grow support for the GOP ticket in the increasingly close ...38 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
House awards Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal in history-making vote
The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to award a Congressional Gold Medal to tennis legend and equal rights advocate Billie Jean King, bestowing the nation’s highest civilian honor on a female ...47 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Trump’s alleged assassin traveled to Ukraine's 'Mos Eisley' in 2022. So did I.
The people moving east from the U.S. to catch the war fell into a few groups: idealists, adventurers, opportunists, criminals and madmen.52 minutes ago - Ukraine