This is absurd
The Republican-led Congress is hard at work, passing legislation that seeks control. The first bill they passed attempts to override district judges. Republicans just can’t (or won’t) understand why we have multiple levels of government, often referred to as checks and balances. Regardless of what Mike Johnson thinks, Congress has no right to control decisions made by judges. If the parties disagree on a judge’s ruling, it goes to the Court of Appeals. If they still disagree, they can go to the Supreme Court. This legislation is directed at “nationwide orders,” or rulings that effect litigants across the country. When it comes to issues such as immigration, the impact is felt across the country, and any rulings should follow suit. Republicans are just mad because Trump cannot unlawfully order things that violate the Constitution. Just like AP said, it will never pass the Senate. The next legislation passed by the Republican House is the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (or “SAVE”) Act.
The most egregious part of this legislation is that it will make it harder for women to vote. This legislation does nothing to protect voting integrity. According to this bill, women who have married and changed their names must take extra steps to vote. Birth certificates won’t help because your birth certificate has your maiden name, and you must prove that this person and you with the new name are the same person. Finally, there’s a good reason to be an old maid. Seriously, do you know how much work approximately 69 million women are going to have to undertake to vote? This is so ridiculous that it’s not even funny, and you must wonder whether Republicans have thought about their own wives. Of course, they’re so subservient that they likely don’t care, but this legislation will do more.
This legislation could also potentially affect older Blacks who may not have birth certificates because they were not allowed to have their babies in hospitals. My father was a great example of this. When he got ready to retire, he discovered that he had no birth certificate. So, how was he able to collect his Social Security? By using the birth certificates of me and my siblings, which listed his age at the time of each birth. Now, if this process is good enough for Social Security to pay benefits, surely these Republicans don’t really think this necessary for voting.
SAVE will further allow for frequent voter roll purges. As we all know, these purges sometimes ensnare citizens who are lawfully registered. It further exposes poll workers to criminal prosecution if they register anyone who doesn’t have the full identity documents. Chip Roy (R-TX) is leading the charge, claiming that “millions of illegal aliens” “may” have been given the right to vote. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ran an audit of the 2024 election and found 20 noncitizens in 2024 (0.00024%) who voted. “Millions of illegals” possibly voting is just not true. This bill may make it past the Senate, as John Thune (R-SD) is a co-sponsor. Be aware of its passage and what you must do to vote. Our democracy depends on it.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years