Rand Paul Immigration Amendment Aims to Prevent Voter Fraud

The New American ^ | 18 June 2013 | Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.

[VitacoreVision]

Preventing voter fraud is the aim of an amendment to the immigration bill offered Monday by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Rand Paul Immigration Amendment Aims to Prevent Voter Fraud

The New American
18 June 2013

On Monday, June 17, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky., shown) once again stepped into the breach and tried to compensate for the failure of his colleagues to affect common sense, constitutional immigration reform.

Paul's latest effort came in the form of the "Secure the Vote" amendment to the immigration bill currently pending before the Senate.

The amendment offered by Paul protects the sanctity of the ballot box by ensuring that those present in the United States on work visas or who receive immigration status under provisions of the larger legislation are prevented from voting until they become U.S. citizens.

As part of the process, new procedures will be established to assist states in assuring that those on work visas or who have gained status under the Gang of Eight's woeful immigration package have not registered to vote illegally.

"Not only would this amendment prevent voter fraud, it would also clear up the problem created by today's Supreme Court decision. My amendment requires states to check citizenship before registering people to vote in federal elections," Senator Paul said.

The Supreme Court decision referred to by Paul struck down by a 7-2 vote an Arizona law requiring proof of citizenship for voters. The justices claim that states cannot constitutionally require voters to demonstrate proof of American citizenship.

The majority held that such requirements violate the 1993 federal law validating voter registration by a form wherein the person swears he or she is a citizen and thus legally qualified to vote.

A document released by Senator Paul’s office outlines how his proposal will prevent voter fraud:

• Federal Funding Conditions — Federal election funding is conditioned on states checking voters against a visa database to ensure legal voting. States that do not implement verification procedures in federal elections within one year will also lose ten percent of their federal highway funds.

The Department of Homeland Security must certify to Congress each year those states or the District of Columbia that have registered noncitizens to vote.

• Affidavit and Penalties — Registered Provisional Immigrants, temporary and employment-based visa holders, refugees and other visa holders must provide the following: An affidavit that they have not voted illegally in the past. Will not register to vote until they become citizens.

Registered Provisional Immigrants, temporary and employment-based visa holders, refugees and other visa holders are barred from receiving such status or visas if they registered to vote or voted in any prior federal election.

• Department of Homeland Security Verification — The DHS must verify that applicants have not registered or voted before granting status.

The DHS must immediately provide all states with access to its visa databases and other immigrant databases for verification of the status of registered voters and all individuals applying to register to vote.

• Bars to Legal Status — Registered Provisional Immigrants, temporary and employment-based visa holders, refugees and other visa holders who receive such status or visas and then illegally register to vote or vote in any federal elections will not be eligible to apply for permanent residence or citizenship.

Although Senator Paul’s proposal allows states to access federal visa databases, the libertarian-leaning conservative has come out against the issuing of any sort of national ID card.

Any attempt to create such a database or federal ID requirement for citizens is blocked by another amendment Paul plans to offer — Trust but Verify.

On May 24 Paul penned an op-ed in the Washington Times advocating an end to calls for a national ID, such as that proposed by the REAL ID Act. Paul wrote:

The controversial immigration-reform bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee this week is expected to be considered by the Senate in June. Many see measures contained in this bill, such as a strong E-Verify and a “photo tool,” as a means to control unlawful immigrants’ access to unlawful employment. I worry that they go too far.

I think there are better ideas that err on the side of individual privacy while still strengthening our borders. We should scrap a national identification database and pass immigration reform that secures the border, expands existing work-visa programs and prevents noncitizens from access to welfare. These simple ideas will eliminate the perceived need for an invasive worker-verification system and a government citizenship database.

I am against the idea that American citizens should be forced to carry around a National Identification Card as a condition of citizenship. I worry that the Senate is working to consider a series of little-noticed provisions in comprehensive immigration reform that may provide a pathway to a national ID card for all individuals present in the United States — citizens and noncitizens. These draconian ideas would simply give government too much power.

Such a forceful foreclosure of federal infringements of core civil rights is paramount. There is, however, room for Christian care for one’s neighbor.

In remarks on June 12 during a speech at a forum on immigration, organized by the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, Senator Paul put a very personal and compassionate face on an issue that is often reduced to numbers and vitriol. Paul said:

We're not talking about criminals; we're talking about immigrant workers caught up in a failed government visa program.

I think it's always important that we put a human face on immigration and not just talk about numbers and statistics.

I can't think about immigration without thinking about my own family.

My German great-grandparents didn't speak much English when they came to America. They didn't have much, but they also didn't ask for much — all they wanted was an opportunity.

Senator Paul’s efforts to restore reason to the immigration debate are praiseworthy. Protecting the vote from fraud — by immigrants or anyone — is critical if the American people’s faith in elections is to be preserved.

Furthermore, there are few legislative endeavors more worthwhile than preventing even the first step toward a gulag state where citizens/suspects are required to carry papers with them at all times.

There is, however, one glaring constitutional issue that is being ignored, even by those such as Senator Paul who reliably ride to the defense of the Constitution.

Nearly the entire universe of authority delegated to the Congress of the United States is contained with Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Not one of the roughly 20 powers listed authorizes Congress at all, not to mention exclusively, to establish immigration policy.

The closest the Constitution comes to placing anything even incidentally related to immigration within the bailiwick of Congress is found in the clause of Article I, Section 8 that empowers Congress to “establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.”

That’s it. There is no other mention of immigration in the text of the Constitution. Somehow, though, the enemies of state sovereignty and enumerated powers have extrapolated from that scant reference to “naturalization” the exclusive and unimpeachable right to legislate in the arena of immigration.

The difference between immigration and naturalization is one of definition. Immigration is the act of coming to a country of which one is not a native.

Naturalization, however, is defined as the conference upon an alien of the rights and privileges of a citizen. It is difficult to understand how so many lawyers, judges, and legislators (most of whom are/were lawyers) can innocently confuse these two terms.

Before the states sent delegates to a convention in Philadelphia in 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation (the result of which was the Constitution), they had years of experience policing their sovereign borders, setting rules governing the means by which one could lawfully enter the state. That is to say, they were policing the immigration of aliens, an act undeniably within their right as a sovereign government.

On not one single occasion during that summer of 1787 did any one of the 55 (on and off) representatives of the 13 states suggest the endowment of the new federal government with the authority to set immigration policy for the entire nation. That is significant. Not even the most strident advocate of a powerful national government ever proposed granting the power in question to the central authority.

Again, Paul’s proposals are laudable and are necessary to thwart the federal assault on liberty contained in the immigration bill.

However, perhaps every member of the Senate and House should be required to take a refresher course on the Constitution, the concept of federalism, and the right of states to rule on matters not specifically placed within the narrow boundaries of federal power.

[Theoria]

FURP.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The ‘RATS won’t let it fly. Voter fraud is what keeps the commie ‘RATS in power. They aren’t going to allow anything that would endanger their takeover of the United States.

[ak267]

Earth to Rand Paul....Earth to Rand Paul....ain’t gonna fly with Reid and the goons.

BTW...Sen Deb Fischer....ARE YOU FRIGGEN LISTENING????

[Williams]

The amendments are well intentioned, but as the Monsignor in charge of my Catholic High School once told us: “You can’t shine sh*t”

The whole effort is just that. No one wants to offend illegals, but they are the problem here not the solution. They are not our citizens, they’ve done something wrong, and rewarding them with citizenship will be a disaster.

[svcw]

Every day on our local radio station there is an ad where Paul says he supports the bill....so what is he complaining about now.

[SeminoleCounty]

Randmesty already voted for cloiture...so this is meaningless

Only hope is to make sure House does not pass an Amnesty bill

[Williams]

The problem is there is no reason not to ask an illegal alien to simply leave. They are citizens of another country. We have every reason to send them back there.

Instead the operating assumption is we must allow them to stay. Craziness.

[theBuckwheat]

Why the rush to allow those people who came and stayed in this country illegally to not only have legal residency but to become citizens?

I realize we cannot send them all home. This should not stop us from discouraging most to leave. But for those who are embedded too firmly, I do not oppose legalizing what is de defacto. However, AFAIC, the price of violating our laws must include denial of full citizenship.

We must not also validate the corrupt expectations of the left who viewed undocumented immigrants as future Democrat voters.

[Proud2BeRight]

The Rats don’t care about vote fraud, stopping further illegal trespassing with fences and enforcement, preserving US jobs for legal American citizens, or anything else. The Rats only care about increasing the Rat voter base by rewarding people who broke US law.

The Rats only care about the Rats.

[Regulator]

Another joke.

The Radical Left is already implementing non-citizen voting in the big cities.

Only a matter of time until it turns into a federal deal.

We already have a foreigner as President, let’s go the whole way - let the world vote in our elections!

[ncalburt]

Exactly
Rand think we are fooled by these games .
This tells me the GOP is worried now and people are calling and ticked .

I tried to call any of Rubios office and the phones were busy or instantly on voice mail .

He is screwed
People are ticked and calling

Call Call Call idiot Mitch , Rand, Lamar , John C , Grahnesty on Wednesday !

Call that old pig Mary Landrieu too
She is screwed in 2014

Reid is scared .

[sickoflibs]

Good poison pill to the bill but I thought Cruz proposed this first,

[ncalburt]

Call her office and yell
You will feel better for it

I do and it’s great therapy and gives these clueless idiots a real warning in what is ahead for them

[iacovatx]

And...now is the time to add a little amendment that all new and existing citizens’ right to keep and bear all arms suitable for defensive and contemporary military purposes shall not in any way or degree be infringed. That will clarify the minimum performance characteristics of second amendment items that was not specified in the Heller decision and make certain no state or local government puts infringements on these arms. At a minimum, it will get the left’s arteries to vibrating.

[TBP]

The Dim Bulb From Searchlight will never let it see the light of day. I hope he can find a House sponsor. Maybe Amash?

[wastoute]

Rather than keep them from voting how about just subtracting the number from the Rats votes. Much easier.

[VitacoreVision]

Here's the Amendment. It's Rand Paul's.

Senator Rand Paul's "Secure the Vote" Amendment
http://www.paul.senate.gov/files/documents/SecureVoteAdmt.pdf

[sickoflibs]

Good move by him.

[VitacoreVision]

If this passes, the Democrats will run away from the Immigration Reform bill.