The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that an effort by Washington, D.C. Lawmakers to allow non-U.S. citizens, including foreign diplomats and undocumented immigrants, to vote is now the law.
D.C.’s City Council passed the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act in January amid criticism from Republicans. Congress had 30 days to review the legislation, during which time they could have pushed back on the laws.
However, that review period ended last week.
Although House lawmakers have pushed to block the law, those in the Senate ran out of time, meaning the review period ended before they could make any objections.
Charles Allen, the council member who introduced the bill, explained that the law meant if a non-citizen was eligible to vote, they could vote in a local election if they had resided in Washington, D.C. for more than 30 days.
Before the City Council voted on the law on October 6, Allen explained, the legislation was “in line with our D.C. values” and the City Council’s “history of expanding the right to vote.”
Republicans tried acting quickly to quash the law.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, introduced a resolution disproving the legislation in January.
In a statement Comer issued at the time, he emphasized how voting is a “pillar of American democracy” and a constitutional right that should be “preserved for citizens” of the U.S.
Comer described the Washington, D.C.’s City Council decision as “reckless” and an “attack on the foundation of this republic.”
