Senate Democrats have unanimously voted against Senate Bill 407, also known as the Equal Representation Act, proposed by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), which aimed to bar illegal immigrants from being counted in the national census. The bill was defeated by a vote of 45-51 on March 8th, with no Democratic support. This news comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to determine the population of each state in the United States without regard to immigration status.
The amendment, if passed, would have required the Census Bureau to include a citizenship question in the census, and exclude anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, including those with temporary visas, from the ballot for congressional district and Electoral College apportionments. This proposal was attached to a $460 billion government spending package passed by the Senate on Saturday.
Senator Hagerty accused Democrats of holding back the amendment for political reasons and stated that their unanimous opposition to the measure confirms their use of illegal immigrants and sanctuary cities to increase their own political power. However, Democratic support for immigrants is well-documented, and they argue that excluding non-citizens from the census would be unconstitutional.
Sanctuary cities, where local authorities limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, are a major point of contention in the immigration debate. Currently, there are about 200 sanctuary cities, counties, and states in the United States, including major cities like New Orleans, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Democrats argue that these cities are simply supporting the rights and safety of all individuals within their communities, regardless of immigration status.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and several other Republicans were also sponsors of the Equal Representation Act introduced by Sen. Hagerty last month. According to Sen. Cassidy, the legislation was introduced in response to a video of a Democratic Congresswoman openly calling for more illegal immigration to her New York congressional district to increase her political power. Republicans argue that this creates a perverse incentive for states to increase illegal immigration, while Democrats maintain that they are simply advocating for fair representation for all residents, regardless of citizenship status.
In response to the news of the bill's defeat, the CEO of social media platform X, Elon Musk, weighed in on the issue, stating that illegal immigrants are mostly in Democrat states, causing a potential shift of 5% to the left in both the House and Presidential elections. This aligns with the Republican argument that illegal immigration favors the Democrats in terms of representation and votes, while Democrats argue that their stance on immigration is not based on political gain but rather on human rights.
The ongoing border crisis has also added fuel to the immigration debate, with record numbers of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs flowing into the country. President Biden visited the southern border last week and called for Congress to pass a bipartisan border bill in his State of the Union address.
Republicans have been pushing for stricter border laws for years, and recently, congressional Republicans have called for President Biden to immediately close the border in light of the recent murder of Laken Hope Riley, allegedly committed by an illegal immigrant.
House Speaker Mike Johnson took to social media platform X to urge President Biden to use his “existing statutory authority” to close the border immediately. He cited the murder of Laken Hope Riley as an example of the consequences of the current border situation and emphasized the need for a return to law and order. This tragedy has added to the ongoing debate on immigration and border security, with both parties calling for action to address the issue.
In the end, the failure of the Equal Representation Act, following the ongoing border crisis, highlights the deeply divided opinions on immigration in the United States. Both parties have valid arguments and concerns, and it is up to lawmakers to find a solution that addresses these issues while also upholding the values of fairness and justice for all residents of the country. The debate and discussions on immigration and border security are likely to continue, and it remains to be seen what actions will be taken in the future to address these complex and sensitive issues.