Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) defended his party’s push for legislation targeting a crime already deemed illegal in a clash with CNN host Kaitlan Collins , as the threat of a federal government shutdown looms.
At the center of the debate is the SAVE Act , which Lawler co-sponsored. The legislation seeks to require proof of citizenship for voting. On Wednesday the House rejected a $1.6 trillion stopgap spending bill , which aimed to extend government funding until March with the addition of the proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration. The proposal, from Speaker Mike Johnson , failed 220-202, with bipartisan opposition from Republicans and Democrats.
Lawler, however, appearing on The Source with Kaitlan Collins , repeatedly dodged attempts to shift the conversation, resulting in a fiery back-and-forth as Collins insisted the move was redundant since “it’s already unlawful for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.”
Despite this, Lawler argued for reaffirming the law, insisting that “non-citizens should not be voting in elections.”