House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer has called for the passage of H.R. 884, a bill that seeks to prevent noncitizens from voting in District of Columbia elections. The legislation, introduced by Representative August Pfluger, aims to safeguard the voting rights of American citizens and had previously garnered bipartisan support.
In his remarks on the House floor, Chairman Comer emphasized the importance of maintaining election integrity in Washington D.C., following the enactment of the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act by the D.C. government on November 21, 2022. This act allows noncitizen residents, including illegal immigrants and foreign diplomats, to participate in local elections.
Chairman Comer noted that this change has been met with concern from lawmakers across party lines. He highlighted that D.C. Mayor Bowser refrained from signing the Act, an action she rarely takes. Additionally, he pointed out that when a similar bill was presented in Congress last year, it received support from 262 members, including 52 Democrats.
Despite this support in the House, Chairman Comer expressed disappointment that the Senate did not consider what he described as a “bipartisan, commonsense bill” aimed at preserving election integrity in the capital.
He reiterated that voting is a fundamental privilege of American citizenship and argued that extending this right to noncitizens undermines the voice of D.C. residents. Citing Article I of the Constitution, which grants Congress jurisdiction over Washington D.C., Chairman Comer urged his colleagues to back Representative Pfluger’s bill to ensure only U.S. citizens can vote in local elections.
