Some Republican House members are claiming that the chamber passed a bill that allows undocumented immigrants to vote — though no such language exists in the legislation.
Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Kevin Brady (R-PA) and Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) voted in favor of an amendment to HR1, a Democratic-sponsored bill that will expand voting rights, overhaul ethics rules and require the president to disclose his tax returns.
Among the many voting rights initiatives in HR1 would mandate if passed are making Election Day a federal holiday, automatic voter registration and the restoration of voting rights to former felons who served their time.
The GOP members, however, said they voted for a motion that would amend the language of the bill to bar undocumented citizens from being enrolled in automatic voter registration. The motion was not passed.
"Today I offered a motion to recommit #HR1 reaffirming that only US citizens should have the right to vote," Crenshaw tweeted. Dems rejected it."
"Next time you go to the ballot box, keep that in mind," he added. "The future of their party is in cities like San Fran, where illegals can vote. Let that sink in."
Smucker, meanwhile, charged HR1 with diminishing "the voting power of American citizens."
In a tweet announcing that the GOP motion didn't pass, Brady suggested in a hashtag that Democrats are "rigging elections."
As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie noted, Crenshaw and his GOP colleagues have taken a provision of HR1 that would allow "municipal voting by noncitizen legal residents."
"There is virtually no evidence of unauthorized residents voting in federal, state, and local elections," Bouie added.
Following the vote, the right-wing Washington Times website charged House Democrats with passing a bill "in favor of illegal immigrant voting."
Soon after it was published, the president's son Donald Trump Jr. shared it.
"What happened to the Democrat party that this is what they need to push to win?" he tweeted. "What does this do for Americans?"
GOP Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel added that "it's no wonder [Democrats] want open borders."
