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President Donald Trump has declared he will sign no legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. This would require everyone to present proof of citizenship in order to vote.
Proof of citizenship is already required to register to vote.
Cases of non-citizens voting illegally are as abundant as validated sightings of Big Foot in the North Maine Woods. This is a solution in search of a problem, and is intended to suppress voter turnout and particularly to intimidate new citizens from exercising their right to vote.
Maine voters rejected a similar state referendum question last year by nearly a two-to-one margin. Yet Sen. Susan Collins says she supports the SAVE America Act.
The bill has already passed in the U.S. House. But it needs to pass the Senate to become law. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is now on record as being willing to do away with the “filibuster rule” in the Senate, such that any legislation can be approved with a simple majority vote, not the 60 votes currently required, which requires bipartisan support.
Now is the time to let Collins know that Mainers do not want this!
R. E. Nelson
Clinton
