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New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
GOP rep calls for ‘around-the-clock' security for congressional lawmakers using public funds after Minnesota shootings
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) expressed deep concern Monday over 'growing threats' to congressional lawmakers in a letter asking for clarification over whether members can use their taxpayer-funded allowances to pay for personal security. Burchett's letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the House Committee on Administration – the panel which oversees the use of Members' Representational Allowances (MRAs) – comes days after a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were gunned down by an assassin targeting politicians. 'We are deeply concerned about growing threats to the safety of elected officials and request the Committee on House Administration to clarify that Members' Representational Allowances (MRAs) may be used for around-the-clock security services,' Burchett wrote in his letter, obtained by The Post. 3 Burchett asked whether taxpayer-provided funds can be used to pay for 24/7 security for congressional reps. AP The average MRA provided to House lawmakers last year was about $1.9 million per representative – money provided to support 'official conduct and representational duties.' The Tennessee Republican notes that under congressional rules, it appears lawmakers are only allowed to use MRA money on security expenses 'when those services are provided at official, member-hosted district events, during the performance of official duties, or at district offices during business hours.' Burchett called the current interpretation of the rules for MRAs 'inadequate' in light of the Saturday shootings targeting former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman, along with their spouses, and the 2017 assassination attempt against Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) at a Congressional Baseball practice. 'Had these lawmakers served in Congress, they would not have been allowed to use MRA funds for personal protection, despite being targeted,' Burchett said of the shooting that killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the separate assassination attempt against Hoffman, which left him and his wife badly wounded. 3 Burchett noted that the slain Minnesota state lawmaker could not have used MRA money, had she been in Congress, to secure her home. Getty Images 'The reality is, Members of Congress are publicly identifiable at all times,' Burchett continued. 'Our addresses are posted online and the threats are constant.' 'While we are grateful for the efforts of local law enforcement, the unique risks associated with serving in Congress require security beyond what is currently available.' The congressman called on the House panel to take 'all necessary steps to expand the permissible use of Members' Representational Allowances to include personal security, excluding campaign-related activity.' 3 The killing of Melissa Hortman and the serious wounding of another Minnesota state lawmaker sent shockwaves through Congress. Steven Garcia 'Protecting elected officials from political violence is critical for effective representation and a functioning government,' Burchett argued. The 'manifesto' of suspected Minnesota political assassin Vance Boelter contained the names of as many as 70 people — largely lawmakers and abortion advocates — he may have sought to target, according to authorities. The chilling list reportedly included Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.). Boelter, 57, was captured in a rural area outside Minneapolis Sunday night.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump to target ActBlue in presidential memorandum
In a shot at ActBlue, the left's major online donation platform, President Donald Trump plans to sign a presidential memorandum on Thursday cracking down on foreign contributions in American elections, according to a person familiar with the policy and granted anonymity to discuss not-yet-public details. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is expected to be involved in the crackdown, the person said, though further details about the mechanism she will use were not immediately available. The order is expected to specifically target ActBlue, which Republicans have long claimed could be exploited by foreign actors. Democrats had been bracing in recent days for potential action from the White House against the platform, casting it as an unwarranted attack on their fundraising efforts. In an email to Democrats on Wednesday referring to a potential coming action from the White House targeting the platform, ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones wrote, 'Nothing will deter or interrupt ActBlue's mission and work to enable millions of Americans to participate in our democracy. There is an ongoing and persistent effort to weaken the confidence of the American people in what's possible. This is the next version of 'the big lie.'' On Thursday, ActBlue told POLITICO, 'ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities. We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.' Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chair of the House Committee on Administration, sent a letter to ActBlue in October asking for documents and information about how the platform verifies donors, suggesting that it does not have adequate protections to prevent foreign donations. Federal law prohibits any contributions, donations, expenditures or disbursements either directly or indirectly from foreign nationals and governments in any U.S. election, whether federal, state or local. In December, Steil announced the documents turned over by ActBlue showed that the company had implemented new policies to 'automatically reject donations that use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gift cards, are from high-risk/sanctioned countries, and have the highest level of risk as determined.' At the time, Steil called it a 'positive step forward' but said there 'is still more work to be done.' In a December press release concerning the issue, ActBlue said that its 'robust security program and strict fraud prevention measures help us rigorously protect donors' information, root out potentially unlawful foreign contributions, protect donors from financial fraud, and flag potentially unlawful or fraudulent activity.'
Politico
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump to target ActBlue in presidential memorandum
In a shot at ActBlue, the left's major online donation platform, President Donald Trump plans to sign a presidential memorandum on Thursday cracking down on foreign contributions in American elections, according to a person familiar with the policy and granted anonymity to discuss not-yet-public details. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is expected to be involved in the crackdown, the person said, though further details about the mechanism she will use were not immediately available. The order is expected to specifically target ActBlue, which Republicans have long claimed could be exploited by foreign actors. Democrats had been bracing in recent days for potential action from the White House against the platform, casting it as an unwarranted attack on their fundraising efforts. In an email to Democrats on Wednesday referring to a potential coming action from the White House targeting the platform, ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones wrote, 'Nothing will deter or interrupt ActBlue's mission and work to enable millions of Americans to participate in our democracy. There is an ongoing and persistent effort to weaken the confidence of the American people in what's possible. This is the next version of 'the big lie.'' On Thursday, ActBlue told POLITICO, 'ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities. We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.' Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chair of the House Committee on Administration, sent a letter to ActBlue in October asking for documents and information about how the platform verifies donors, suggesting that it does not have adequate protections to prevent foreign donations. Federal law prohibits any contributions, donations, expenditures or disbursements either directly or indirectly from foreign nationals and governments in any U.S. election, whether federal, state or local. In December, Steil announced the documents turned over by ActBlue showed that the company had implemented new policies to 'automatically reject donations that use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gift cards, are from high-risk/sanctioned countries, and have the highest level of risk as determined.' At the time, Steil called it a 'positive step forward' but said there 'is still more work to be done.' In a December press release concerning the issue, ActBlue said that its 'robust security program and strict fraud prevention measures help us rigorously protect donors' information, root out potentially unlawful foreign contributions, protect donors from financial fraud, and flag potentially unlawful or fraudulent activity.'
Los Angeles Times
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
House passes GOP bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voting, a Trump priority
WASHINGTON — House Republicans passed one of their signature issues for the year on Thursday, approving legislation to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections, one of President Trump's top election-related priorities. Democrats lined up against the bill and warned that it risks disenfranchising millions of Americans who do not have ready access to the proper documents. Trump has long signaled a desire to change how elections are run in the U.S. and last month issued a sweeping executive order that included a citizenship requirement among other election-related changes. Top Republicans have argued the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is necessary to ensure only citizens vote in U.S. elections and 'cements into law' Trump's order. 'If we have a noncitizen who votes in an election, that cancels out the vote of a legal citizen,' said U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Committee on Administration, which handles election-related legislation. This marks Republicans' second attempt at passing the SAVE Act. It passed the House last year but failed in the Senate amid Democratic opposition. It's unlikely to fare any better this year. While Republicans won control of the Senate last fall, they have a narrow majority that falls short of the 60 votes they would need to overcome a filibuster. Republicans hammered on the issue during last year's presidential election, even though voting by noncitizens is rare, already is illegal and can lead to felony charges and deportation. The SAVE Act would require all applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at their local election office. Among the acceptable documents are a valid U.S. passport and a government-issued photo ID card presented alongside a certified birth certificate. Democrats and voting rights groups warn the legislation could lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement if it were to become law. The Brennan Center for Justice and other groups estimated in a 2023 report that 9% of U.S. citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans don't have a U.S. passport. In Kansas, a proof-of-citizenship requirement that passed in 2011 ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens in the state who were otherwise eligible to vote. The law was later declared unconstitutional by a federal court and hasn't been enforced since 2018. 'The SAVE Act would force American citizens into a paperwork nightmare, turning every voter registration into a bureaucratic tsunami of government red tape,' said Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York who testified recently in opposition to the bill. A further concern: Married women would need multiple documents to prove their citizenship if they have changed their name. It was a complication that arose in town hall elections held last month in New Hampshire, which was enforcing a new state law requiring proof of citizenship to register. One woman, since divorced, told a local elections clerk that her first marriage was decades ago in Florida and that she no longer had the marriage certificate showing her name change. She was unable to register and vote for her town election. Republicans have defended the legislation as necessary to restore public confidence in elections and say it allows states to adopt procedures to help voters comply. They have disputed Democratic characterizations of the bill. 'The truth is, those who were registered to vote would still be able to vote under their current registration,' said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who sponsored the bill. 'We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change, which of course is often women.' Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who serves as Arizona's top state election official, described the proposal as a solution in search of a problem, given how rare noncitizen voting is. 'What it is doing is capitalizing on fear — fear built on a lie,' Fontes said. 'And the lie is that a whole bunch of people who aren't eligible are voting. That's just not true.' Mascaro, Cassidy and Fernando write for the Associated Press. Cassidy reported from Atlanta, Fernando from Chicago.
Boston Globe
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
House passes GOP bill requiring proof of US citizenship for voting, a Trump priority
Top Republicans have argued the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is necessary to ensure only citizens vote in U.S. elections and 'cements into law' Trump's order. 'If we have a noncitizen who votes in an election, that cancels out the vote of a legal citizen,' said U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Committee on Administration, which handles election-related legislation. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up This marks Republicans' second attempt at passing the SAVE Act. It passed the House last year but failed in the Senate amid Democratic opposition. Advertisement It's unlikely to fare any better this year. While Republicans won control of the Senate last fall, they have a narrow majority that falls short of the 60 votes they would need to overcome a filibuster. Republicans hammered on the issue during last year's presidential election, even though voting by noncitizens is rare, already is illegal and can lead to felony charges and deportation. The SAVE Act would require all applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at their local election office. Among the acceptable documents are a valid U.S. passport and a government-issued photo ID card presented alongside a certified birth certificate. Advertisement Democrats and voting rights groups warn the legislation could lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement if it were to become law. The Brennan Center for Justice and other groups estimated in a 2023 report that 9% of U.S. citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Almost half of Americans don't have a U.S. passport. In Kansas, a proof-of-citizenship requirement that passed in 2011 ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens in the state who were otherwise eligible to vote. The law was later declared unconstitutional by a federal court and hasn't been enforced since 2018. 'The SAVE Act would force American citizens into a paperwork nightmare, turning every voter registration into a bureaucratic tsunami of government red tape,' said Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York who testified recently in opposition to the bill. A further concern: Married women would need multiple documents to prove their citizenship if they have changed their name. It was a complication that arose in town hall elections held last month in New Hampshire, which was enforcing a new state law requiring proof of citizenship to register. One woman, since divorced, told a local elections clerk that her first marriage was decades ago in Florida and that she no longer had the marriage certificate showing her name change. She was unable to register and vote for her town election. Republicans have defended the legislation as necessary to restore public confidence in elections and say it allows states to adopt procedures to help voters comply. They have disputed Democratic characterizations of the bill. Advertisement 'The truth is, those who were registered to vote would still be able to vote under their current registration,' said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who sponsored the bill. 'We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change, which of course is often women.' Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who serves as Arizona's top state election official, described the proposal as a solution in search of a problem, given how rare noncitizen voting is. 'What it is doing is capitalizing on fear -- fear built on a lie,' Fontes said. 'And the lie is that a whole bunch of people who aren't eligible are voting. That's just not true.'
