Katherine Clark says SAVE Act shows Republicans are 'afraid of women voting'

WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Rep Katherine Clark on Tuesday, February 10, attacked a Republican voting bill, calling it a move to stop women from voting rather than a plan to protect elections. 

During a press conference of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the leaders called out the Republicans’ SAVE Act as "a direct attack on women.”

Katherine Clark alleges SAVE Act as voter suppression

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass) spoke out against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a GOP-backed voting measure that the House is set to vote on this week, asserting it is designed to suppress women, a key Democratic-leaning voting bloc.

During a press conference with the Democratic Women’s Caucus, Clark argued that the proposal has little to do with the existing laws against noncitizen voting. 

She stated, “This is not about protecting our elections. Republicans are not truly afraid of noncitizens voting, which we all know is already illegal, already grounds for deportation.” Clark further emphasized her point by saying, “They’re afraid of women voting.”

She added, "They are trying to place more red tape, more paperwork, more bureaucracy between women and the ballot box," while asserting that "they also will funnel all of our voter information to DHS. No guardrails — just straight into the hands of Kristi Noem."

What is Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act all about?

The legislation at the center of the debate is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). 

This bill would mandate that individuals provide proof of citizenship to register and a valid ID to vote, such as a passport, birth certificate, or military ID. 

While Rep. Roy defends the bill by stating, “This bill, the only thing it would do, is prevent illegal aliens and people who are noncitizens from voting in American elections,” Democrats see a different motive. 

Notably, according to the Pew Research Center, as of last year, women are 12 percentage points more likely than men to affiliate with the Democratic Party.

Dems argue Act would impact working and rural Americans

Democratic leaders argue that the administrative burdens of the SAVE Act would create significant obstacles for working-class and rural citizens. 

Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernandez described the bill as “voter suppression, plain and simple” and suggested it “is meant to save Republicans’ electoral butts come November, because their policies are so unpopular.” 

Rep. Becca Balint also highlighted that many Americans lack the necessary documents, noting that only about 53 percent of citizens own a passport. 

Even though some Republicans, like Representative Bryan Steil, suggest that IDs should be provided for free, Balint argued that the bill would harm low-income voters, concluding that “This serves no one except the men in power, who want to retain their power. That’s what this is about.”