U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized on Apr. 14 recent actions by President Donald Trump and his administration to limit voter access, including an executive order on mail-in voting and support for the SAVE America Act.
The issue is significant as it concerns Americans' ability to vote freely and securely. The Senate Judiciary Committee has broad influence over constitutional protections and public safety nationwide through its legislative and oversight duties, according to the official website.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin said, “People should not be allowed to vote in an election illegally. Is that a radical idea? I think it’s a basic idea. It ought to be against the law for somebody who is not legal to try to vote in America. It is. It’s a felony.” He referenced an analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center of data from the Heritage Foundation's Election Fraud database that found only 77 instances of noncitizen voting over two decades, each investigated by authorities.
Durbin questioned Republican motivations behind new voting restrictions: “In a 20-year period of time, seventy-seven people in America who were ineligible tried to vote... Good reason is to stop fraud in voting. Real reason? Turn this election upside down in November.” He also called attention to other pressing issues facing Americans such as high gas prices: “Filled your tank recently? $4 a gallon? $5 a gallon? In Illinois, I run into both.”
Addressing mail-in voting specifically, Durbin said President Trump’s executive order was part of ongoing efforts "to sow distrust in the integrity of our elections." He noted that while Trump criticized mail-in ballots as "cheating," he himself voted by mail recently: “The hypocrisy of this White House knows no bounds.”
Durbin also raised concerns about federal agencies’ ability to accurately verify voter citizenship status under proposed systems: “There are serious concerns that the processes and systems... are filled with errors... nearly a quarter of SSA’s own records lack any citizenship information... More than half the voters flagged as ineligible turned out to be American citizens. The system doesn't work.”
He concluded his remarks saying, “I come to the floor today to say if you can’t protect the right of Americans to vote, however they want to vote, then you’ve forgotten the very basics of our democracy.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee serves as a standing committee with authority over judicial and legal matters—including reviewing legislation affecting civil rights—according to its official website. Its leadership includes senators from both major parties who oversee meetings and hearings.according to its official website.
