Congress Again Tries to Repeal Non-Citizen Voting in the Nation’s Capital

By: Miriam Edelman

Unsurprisingly, in this new Congress, a new Congress continues its efforts to overturn non-citizen voting in Washington, D.C. Again, Representative August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced a bill that would overturn the will of D.C.’s voters.

Last Congress, after Congress failed to prevent D.C.’s legislation granting D.C.’s bill allowing non-citizens to vote in D.C.’s local elections, Congress considered multiple bills that would overturn D.C.’s non-citizen voting law. On May 23, 2024, the House passed H.R. 192 - To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 bill, by a vote of 262 (including 210 Republicans and 52 Democrats) Yea, 143 Nay (including zero Republicans and 143 Democrats), zero Present, and 25 (including seven Republicans and 18 Democrats) Not Voting. Pfluger had introduced the bill. Congressional work on non-citizen voting in D.C. was mentioned in DCNOW’s blog posts, entitled “Fears-Turned Reality: Congress and the District of Columbia in 2023 So Far,” “D.C. Elections-Related Legislation Update,” and “Congress Continues to Attempt to Prevent Non-U.S. Citizens from Voting in Local D.C. Elections.”

Pfluger is a strong opponent of non-citizen voting in general, not just in D.C. Thus, he continues efforts of Members of Congress to instill their political will onto D.C. and its residents. After the U.S. Supreme Court issued an August 2024 ruling stopping non-citizen voting in Arizona, Pfluger said in his office’s statement:

The Supreme Court made a critical decision in protecting the American right to vote. Non-citizens, illegal immigrants, and foreign nationals do not have the right to vote in this country or determine the integrity of our elections. Americans deserve confidence in knowing that only legal citizens are casting their vote in the United States of America.

On January 31, 2025, Pfluger, Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, introduced H.R.884 - To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022. The bill has just ten Republican co-sponsors: Nancy Mace (R-SC), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), William Timmons (R-SC), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Michael Guest (R-MS).

On the same day, Pfluger introduced a bill and a resolution against non-citizens and elections. He introduced H.R. 882 - To prohibit the hiring of individuals who are not citizens of the United States to administer an election for Federal office in a State or local jurisdiction, and for other purposes. That bill has only six Republican cosponsors: Arrington, Hamadeh, Timmons, Boebert, Tenney, and Guest. Pfluger also introduced H.J.Res.31 - Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to prohibit persons who are not citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents of the United States from voting in elections. That resolution has just four Republican cosponsors: Arrington, Hamadeh, Timmons, and Boebert. Thus, H.R. 884, which focuses on D.C., has the greatest number of cosponsors of the three bills.

Pfluger said the following on Fox News about those bills:

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why protecting them from noncitizen influence is essential to our nation’s sovereignty and will ensure America has a flourishing democracy for decades to come.

These bills are three commonsense steps we can take to ensure noncitizens are not influencing our elections by voting in them or administering them. We must safeguard the integrity of our electoral system, and these bills will work to do just that.

Congress should stop its hyperfocus on who can vote in D.C.’s local elections. Statehood for D.C. would eliminate this Congressional meddling.