Sen. McConnell: "Voting is a Right at the Core of Our Democracy"

Via email:

Washington, D.C. – Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell introduced an amendment on Thursday to reduce voter fraud by establishing a federal standard requiring voters to present a government-issued photo ID at the polls. Excerpts of his remarks are below, with full text (as prepared) following.

“Those who don’t abide by the laws aren’t free to influence our political process or our policies with a vote. And as we move forward on this immigration bill we need to make sure we protect voters, protect the Fifteenth Amendment, by strengthening protections against illegal voting.”

“We need to ensure those who are voting are the same people on the rolls, and that they’re legally entitled to vote. ID cards would do that. They would reduce irregularities dramatically. And in doing so, they’d increase confidence in the system.”

“The promise of America is that every law-abiding citizen has an equal stake in the political process and should be treated equally under the law. The most concrete expression of this right is the right to vote.

“It’s a right that’s been at the core of our Democracy for more than a century, and whenever it’s been deprived at the local level, we’ve strengthen it federally. We need to strengthen it again now as part of our effort to reform America ’s immigration laws.”

Background

McConnell’s amendment would implement an underlying policy recommendation of the bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform. The Commission, headed by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, recommended using a standardized federal photo ID (commonly known as REAL ID) to verify that those who show up to vote are the people whose names appear on the voter rolls. Unlike the Carter-Baker Commission, however, this amendment would not require a single, standardized federal ID. It would require any government-issued photo ID, but allow flexibility among the states to determine which ID to accept. It would also include a grant program to cover the cost of photo ID for qualified low-income voters.

Remarks as prepared

“Members on both sides have voiced a lot of legitimate concerns about the immigration bill we brought to the floor earlier this week — which was precisely what we were hoping for when we decided to move forward with it. We needed to air things out. Many of my Republican colleagues have rightly focused on border security and their concern that people who’ve broken the law will somehow get away with it under the proposed legislation.

“As we’ve debated the issue on the floor, the American people have spoken out too — loudly. The phones have been ringing off the hooks. If we’ve settled anything thing this week, it’s that Americans aren’t shy about expressing their views on immigration. It’s my hope that this debate will move forward until every apprehension will be addressed. And now I’d like to voice a concern of my own.

“The Constitution says all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens, and are therefore free to vote. As a corollary, we’ve always maintained that no one who isn’t a citizen has this right.

“But in order to preserve the meaning of this pledge, we need to make sure the influence of those who vote legally isn’t diluted by those who don’t. Those who don’t abide by the laws aren’t free to influence our political process or our policies with a vote. And as we move forward on this immigration bill we need to make sure we protect voters, protect the 15th Amendment, by strengthening protections against illegal voting.

“This is a principled concern, but it’s also practical. The fundamental question we’ve been debating this week is what to do about the fact that 12 million people in this country are here illegally. We’d have to go back more than two decades to find a presidential election in this country in which 12 million votes wouldn’t have tipped the balance in the other direction.

“Only citizens have the right to choose their elected representatives. And regardless of what we decide to do about these 12 million, those who aren’t here legally and citizen should not have the ability to upend the will of the American people in a free and fair election.

“This isn’t fantasy: it was reported last week that hundreds of non-citizens in and around San Antonio have registered to vote over the past several years. Most are believed to be here illegally, and many are thought to have cast votes. We have no reason to believe this practice, if true, isn’t being replicated in other cities and towns across the country.

“So the question is, given the current reality, how do we safeguard the integrity of the voting system? And if these millions were eventually to become citizens, how do we propose to make sure that their vote counts, that it isn’t diluted? The Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform, founded after the 2004 election and spearheaded by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, has already addressed the problem.

“It said quite simply that election officials need to have a way to make sure that the people who show up at the polls are the ones on the voter lists. I can’t think of anyone who would disagree with that. And the solution the Commission proposed is the same one I’m proposing today as an amendment to the immigration bill.

“Photo IDs are needed in this country to board a plane, to enter a federal building, to cash a check, even to join a wholesale shopping club. In a nation in which 40 million people change addresses each year, in which a lot of people don’t even know their neighbors, some form of government issued, tamper-proof, photo ID cards should be used in elections too. If they’re required for buying bulk toothpaste, they should be required to prove one’s identity, to prove that someone actually has a right to vote and a right to influence the laws and policies of this country.

“We need to ensure those who are voting are the same people on the rolls, and that they’re legally entitled to vote. ID cards would do that. They would reduce irregularities dramatically. And in doing so, they’d increase confidence in the system. We’ve all been through elections where groups of voters questioned the results based on rumors of coercion or fraud. Photo IDs would substantially limit this kind of voter skepticism and loss of faith in the political process.

“Consistent with the purpose and the aim of the Fifteenth Amendment, we don’t want anyone who has the right to vote to have any difficulty acquiring an ID. This amendment addresses this concern by establishing a grant program for those who can’t afford a photo ID. People who qualify will be provided one for free.

“No less an advocate for poor Americans than Ambassador Andrew Young has said photo IDs would have the added benefit of helping those who don’t have driver’s licenses or other forms of official ID to navigate an increasingly computerized culture. Photo IDs would make it easier to cash checks, rent movies, or gain access to other forms of commerce that are closed to people who don’t have them.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans support this attempt to ensure the integrity of our elections. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last year showed that 62 percent of respondents strongly favor requiring a universal, tamper-proof ID at the polls. Nineteen percent said they mildly favor the IDs. Twelve percent were neutral, three percent mildly opposed and four percent strongly opposed.

“The upshot is 93percent of those who were asked for their opinion were either undecided or in favor of implementing this control. State polls show similar results. Americans are clearly divided on what to do with illegal immigrants in our communities. But they seem to agree on the benefits of ID.

“Members from both sides of the aisle agree we need to address voting irregularities. The Junior Senator from Illinois is sponsoring a bill that would stiffen penalties for preventing someone from exercising his or her right to vote. He’s already drawn 12 Democratic co-sponsors. The bill is meant to respond to a problem we all recognize, and which we could do something about by requiring photo ID for voters.

“Two dozens states already require some form of ID at the polls. And as a result of the Help America Vote Act, photo ID is required for those who register to vote by mail but who can’t produce some other identifying document.

“What we’d like to do is provide a federal, minimum standard that’s consistent, but which allows states wide flexibility in determining the kind of ID that’s required. It doesn’t have to be a driver’s license. It could be a hunting or fishing license. But either way, we’d be ensuring for the first time the same verification standards from rural Iowa to Miami Dade. This would be one of the surest steps we could take to protect the franchise rights of every American citizen in a fast-changing and increasingly mobile society.

“The promise of America is that every law-abiding citizen has an equal stake in the political process and should be treated equally under the law. The most concrete expression of this right is the right to vote. It’s a right that’s been at the core of our Democracy for more than a century, and whenever it’s been deprived at the local level, we’ve strengthen it federally.

“We need to strengthen it again now as part of our effort to reform America ’s immigration laws. Stronger borders would do nothing to prevent non-citizens who are here from abusing the system further through illegitimate voting.

“To protect the franchise rights of all born and naturalized citizens in this country, we need to harden anti-fraud protections at the polls. For the sake of the citizen who is here, and for those who dream of becoming citizens in the future.”