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Opinion

DC City Council voting bill is reckless legislation

Star Parker Founder & President, Center for Urban Renewal and Education
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A pair of controversial bills approved by the Washington, D.C. City Council has put the district in the national spotlight and at odds with the federal government. Congress is expected to use its oversight power over city matters to override a crime bill that would reduce maximum sentences for violent crimes in D.C. The House also passed a resolution of disapproval on another city council bill that would allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Straight Arrow News contributor Star Parker says the D.C. voting bill is reckless and undermines election integrity in the U.S.

The world is full of those wishing to do us harm. This much has been made evident and certain. And D.C. is a very complex environment and a lot of noncitizens live here. In 2016, the Left was so concerned about foreign interference in our election. Now they’re inviting it. And while there are, of course, many noncitizens living in D.C. who faithfully work here — great people — they are not citizens and should not be allowed to vote in our elections. Just like U.S. citizens abroad cannot vote in the elections and decide the future of countries like France or Argentina or Russia, anywhere. And that’s what this is going to do. 

In response to all of this, the Republican leader of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, James Comer, introduced a resolution to disapprove of this legislation. So yeah, you’re hearing about a whole lot of Congress saying, “we’re intervening on this.” And Congressman Comer said, “Voting is a pillar of American democracy and a constitutional right. The D.C. Council, the City Council’s reckless decision is an attack on the foundation of this republic.” 

The Left continues to try and erode the foundations of our principles, and what it means to be an American, but they’re getting exposed. Washington, D.C. is supposed to be the heart of our democracy. It is the capital of our constitutional republic, and it’s here in our nation’s capital that we are seeing the voice of the American people be threatened through your representative government. What they’re doing at this D.C. City Council is unconstitutional, and if they’re going to give out the right to vote to anyone, what else will they give away? What else will they tear down?

Washington, D.C. has made a lot of interesting and questionable decisions lately. And I’m not talking about Congress or the president, although we all know they’ve made some crazy decisions as well. But now I’m talking about the city itself. 

The city council has passed a few laws that we should be concerned about, but the law I’m talking about right now is a law allowing those who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local Washington, D.C. elections. You heard me. The council member who introduced the bill said that, “this bill is in line with our DC values and this council’s history of expanding the right to vote and welcoming new voices into our political process and government.” You’ve got to ask, are DC values even in line with the values of our nation. Are DC values in his estimation, even in line with our Constitution? We’re talking a bill a law that illegals can vote. The bill to allow non-citizens to vote does not just pertain to those who are here illegally though, although it certainly gives them the right to vote as well; it’s pertaining to non citizens. So what would stop anyone from any nation, any embassy, from voting? 

The world is full of those wishing to do us harm. This much has been made evident and certain. And DC is a very complex environment and a lot of non-citizens live here. In 2016, the left was so concerned about foreign interference in our election. Now they’re inviting it. And while there are, of course many non-citizens living in DC who faithfully work here, great people, they are not citizens and should not be allowed to vote in our elections. Just like U.S. citizens abroad cannot vote in the elections and decide the future of countries like France and Argentina or Russia, anywhere. And that’s what this is going to do. 

In response to all of this, the Republican leader of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, James Comer, introduced a resolution to disapprove of this legislation. So yeah, you’re hearing about a whole lot of Congress saying, “we’re intervening on this.” And Congressman Comer said, “voting is a pillar of American democracy and a constitutional right. The DC Council, the city council’s reckless decision, is an attack on the foundation of this republic.” 

The left continues to try and erode the foundations of our principles, and what it means to be an American, but they’re getting exposed. Washington, D.C. is supposed to be the heart of our democracy. It is the capital of our Constitutional Republic, and it’s here in our nation’s capitol that we are seeing the voice of the American people be threatened through your representative government. What they’re doing at this DC city council is unconstitutional, and if they’re going to give out the right to vote to anyone, what else will they give away? What else will they tear down? 

What does it even mean anymore to be an American citizen? How dare the city council of Washington, D.C. go so far as to say that non-citizens can vote here. Everywhere opted as DC City Council, the capital of our nation, what would it even mean? This is one of the reasons that although they keep desire to be a state, obviously they are too infant to be a state and should never be allowed to be a state, when you have a city council like this. 

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