Ranking Member Morelle Joined MSNBC’s Way Too Early to Discuss Concerns about the so-called “SAVE” Act

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, joined MSNBC's Way Too Early with Ali Vitali where he highlighted the devastating impacts the Republicans' so-called "SAVE" Act would have, if enacted.

ALI VITALI: So, Congressman let's just start broadly, what are your concerns with the SAVE Act?

RANKING MEMBER MORELLE: Well, I think as you said, and you know the supposed suggestion that non-citizens are voting in federal elections is just a fallacy. There's virtually no evidence that that happens if it does it's a handful of people across the entire country, but what it does is put these huge bureaucratic burdens in front of people simply who want to register to vote and exercise their rights as American citizens to vote in American elections. So, it's particularly vulnerable for military personnel who are overseas and can't appear in their local board of elections personally. Mail-in registration will be gone. A woman who has changed her name, and 84% of married women in the United States have their husband's names that's different than the name that might appear on their birth certificate so they'll have to have a passport but 150 million Americans don't have a passport it's $130 at least to get one, so you think about it these are really just barriers to registering which means that's a barrier to vote

ALI VITALI: Yeah, I was really struck by a Brennan Center statistic that said about 21 million people don't readily have access or have available their basic proof of citizenship and that that is disproportionately affecting communities of color you talk about the barriers now being presented for women voters potentially and this bill doesn't specifically make allowances for women who would change their name through marriage.

RANKING MEMBER MORELLE: That's correct if you listen to the Republicans they'll say, "well marriage license will probably be okay." Probably? I mean that it seems to me that you would have thought of that and actually written it into the bill.

Key Interview Highlights

RANKING MEMBER MORELLE: This bill has been around for a very long time and it's consistent with the executive order that the President issued last week, which are again just barriers to voting. And this is what happens if you’re trying to destabilize a democracy, you do three things: you try to make it difficult for the free press to operate which they’re doing, you try to undercut an independent judiciary which they’re doing, and you try to make it harder for people to vote in free and fair elections which they’re also doing. These are the elements of moving towards a more authoritarian government.

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RANKING MEMBER MORELLE: I think the vast majority of Democrats know that this is just an effort to be able to make it harder for people to vote, and the groups that you identified, in particular are those that they're trying to make it more difficult. It's part of the overall plan I think they have as I said to destabilize the democratic institutions that we hold dear.  

Watch the full interview here. 

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The Committee on House Administration’s jurisdiction includes federal elections, House operations, Capitol Complex security, the Smithsonian Institution, and Legislative Branch agencies such as the Library of Congress and Government Publishing Office.