Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used a news conference outside Phoenix to pitch the Republican voting and elections bill that passed the U.S. House earlier this week.
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The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility legislation would require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and impose a photo ID requirement to cast a ballot, among other election changes.
Noem called it an opportunity “to show that we’re serious about securing our elections.”
She reiterated the Republican talking point that the bill was needed to prevent noncitizens from deciding elections. Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare and that it has not been happening in any kind of coordinated way.
Asked if she had any examples of noncitizens voting in Arizona, Noem said she presumed it had happened but couldn’t point to one.
Democrats and other critics say the so-called SAVE America Act, if it becomes law, could disenfranchise millions of U.S. citizens who don’t have ready access to the documents that would prove their citizenship.
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where it does not appear to have the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster rules.
While addressing a reporter’s question about Customs and Border Protection’s use of an anti-drone laser earlier this week that led the FAA to shut down airspace over El Paso, Texas, for several hours, Noem seemed to acknowledge the chaos the event caused.
“This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we’re continuing to work on the communication through that,” Noem said during an Arizona event.
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A source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed without coordinating with the FAA.
The abrupt shutdown led to confusion in the city of 700,000 on the Mexican border.
Noem also made it clear she’s still in charge of her department.
As congressional funding for her agency stalled and it ended its controversial immigration sweep in Minnesota, a reporter asked Noem if she still ran the department.
“I am still in charge of the Department of Homeland Security,” Noem replied, moving onto additional questions about elections.
Noem has been met with scathing criticism from not only Democrats, but some Republicans, after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens protesting the Minnesota operation and Noem seemed to misstate the facts of the cases in the initial hours.
