If Democrats Were Smart, They Would Embrace Millennial Raised By Pastor In Texas And Not AOC
'I’m a big believer in dirt and string and sticks'
Why 4 Democrats defied their party to protect American elections from illegal aliens
The House passed a Republican-led bill requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration on Thursday. Despite Democrats' overwhelming disapproval of the key legislation, four Democratic lawmakers reached across the aisle.
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy's SAVE Act was passed in a 220-208 vote almost entirely along party lines, similar to the bill's narrow passage in the previous Congress.
Just as they did in 2024, Democrats voted to tank Roy's bill, with just a handful defecting and joining Republicans: Reps. Ed Case of Hawaii, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.
While this handful of Democrats bucked their party on a key vote, they likely did so just for political survival.
"I voted for the SAVE Act for the simple reason that American elections are for Americans," Golden said in a statement Thursday. "Requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote is common sense."
Golden, who has previously defected from his party on other key votes, additionally defended the SAVE Act and even debunked some misconceptions about the bill.
"Some claim that requiring proof of citizenship is too onerous a burden, or that it will 'disenfranchise' those whose names have changed for reasons like marriage," Golden said. "The truth is the SAVE Act ensures name changes will not prevent anyone from registering to vote."
"The bill allows for several different ways to prove citizenship," Golden added. "But most importantly, it requires state leaders to establish protocols to allow citizens to register even if there are discrepancies in documents, such as name changes."
In statements shared with Blaze News, both Cuellar and Case echoed Golden's position, arguing that the standards put forward by the SAVE Act ensure that the law is enforced properly.
"Noncitizen voting is illegal, and we should all know that noncitizens are not voting," Case said. "The SAVE Act provides consistent national standards for what documentation is necessary to prove citizenship and the right to vote."
"It includes various acceptable forms of identification which most voter-eligible citizens should have and those who don’t should be able to obtain," Case added. "Fears of voter suppression because of these standards are overstated and should not prevent reasonable citizen ID requirements, and voter suppression is in any event illegal.”
"Ultimately, this is about protecting the integrity of our elections while ensuring every eligible American has a fair chance to vote — whether you are a man or a woman, single, married, divorced, or widowed," Cuellar said. "That’s how we keep trust in our democracy, and that’s something worth standing up for.”
Notably, every Democrat who voted for the SAVE Act, with the exception of Case, resides in a district that President Donald Trump won in 2024. Trump won Golden's district with 53.8%, Cuellar's district with 53.1%, and Perez's district with exactly 50%.
These Democrats also narrowly won re-election in their respective purple districts last election cycle. Golden won with just 50.3% of the vote, Cuellar won with 52.8%, and Perez held on to her seat with 51.7%.
While this handful of Democrats bucked their party on a key vote, they likely did so just for political survival.
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5 Dems Who Voted For Election Security Reform Won’t Say If They’ll Support The SAVE Act Again
In July of 2024, the House passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. Now, the legislation will soon be up for a vote again. Many Democrats still choose to champion insecure election practices, despite broad popular support for safeguards like voter ID and […]Republicans set their sights on vulnerable Democrats in Congress
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced which House Democrats it is targeting next election cycle to expand the GOP majority.
The NRCC has set its sights on 26 "prime pickup opportunities" in light of the GOP's sweeping victory in November 2024. After taking back the White House, the Senate, and keeping the House, Republicans are eager to expand their power on Capitol Hill.
'Vulnerable House Democrats have been hard at work demonstrating they are painfully out of touch with hardworking Americans.'
House Democrats will be hit hard in swing states and even in deep-blue states. The NRCC is targeting five Democrats from California, including Reps. Josh Harder, Adam Gray, George Whitesides, Derek Tran, and Dave Min. Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from the neighboring blue state of Washington is also on the NRCC's list.
The NRCC is also targeting New York Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, and Josh Riley. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who was the sole Democrat in the House to vote in favor of the GOP-led funding bill on Tuesday, was named as a target.
The NRCC is also keeping an eye on the Midwest, with Democratic Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Emilia Sykes of Ohio, and Frank Mrvan of Indiana on its list.
The swing-state Democrats from Nevada are on the NRCC's radar, including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford. Democratic Rep. Don Davis from fellow swing state North Carolina is also one of the NRCC's target seats.
After making significant gains with Hispanics, the NRCC is also targeting Democrats with significant Latino populations like Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, and Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico.
Although the South is usually a safe bet for Republicans, the NRCC is vying for a few pickup opportunities below the Mason-Dixon line, including Democratic Reps. Eugene Vindman of Virginia, Darren Soto of Florida, and Jared Moskowitz of Florida.
"House Republicans are in the majority and on offense,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said. “Meanwhile, vulnerable House Democrats have been hard at work demonstrating they are painfully out of touch with hardworking Americans. Republicans are taking the fight straight to these House Democrats in their districts, and we will unseat them next fall.”
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Hill Dems hammer Biden over Hunter pardon, citing 'two-tier' justice system
After President Joe Biden announced a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter Biden, several lawmakers from his own party came out against him.
Despite repeatedly asserting that he would not pardon his son, Biden is now allowing Hunter to evade legal repercussions for crimes committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024. This pardon was issued amid Hunter's most recent felony conviction on gun charges as well as his scandalous background surrounding felony tax offenses and his role in the Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
'This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.'
Biden previously insisted that he would not pardon Hunter, reaffirming that "no one is above the law." Over the weekend, Biden announced the decision to pardon Hunter, claiming that he was being "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted."
"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden said in a statement released Sunday.
"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong," Biden continued.
However, lawmakers from Biden's own party were not convinced.
"President Biden’s pardon of his son confirms a common belief I hear in Southwest Washington: that well-connected people are often gifted special treatment by a two-tier justice system," Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who just narrowly won re-election in Washington state, said in a Monday post on X. "The President made the wrong decision. No family should be above the law."
"I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong," Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton said in a Monday post on X. "This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers."
Biden also faced backlash from Democrats on the Senate side.
"President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all," Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said in a Monday post on X.
"President Biden’s decision to pardon his son was wrong," Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said in a Monday post on X. "A president's family and allies shouldn't get special treatment. This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests."
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5 key House seats Republicans are likely to flip
While the Republicans' majority is increasingly narrow, there are currently five competitive blue seats that may help the GOP hold onto the House.
The seats of Democratic Reps. Mary Peltola of Alaska, Yadira Caraveo of Colorado, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Jared Golden of Maine have all been ranked as toss-ups by Cook Political Report.
Alongside these toss-up ratings, polling also suggests these seats are within Republicans' reach going into November.
In 2022, Peltola is the first Democratic candidate to have been elected to Alaska's sole congressional seat in more than half a century after the state adopted a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank their preferred candidates rather than a typical two-party primary system. As a result, Republican candidates Nick Begich and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin split the GOP vote, allowing Peltola to flip the seat blue for the first time since 1970.
Despite the ranked-choice system, Peltola is facing a challenge from just one Republican candidate, Nick Begich, after Nancy Dahlstrom dropped out to consolidate the GOP vote. Combined with Alaska's reliably red voting history, recent polls from the National Republican Congressional Committee put Peltola at an electoral disadvantage.
Peltola is also featured on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "frontline members" list consisting of the most competitive blue seats.
Peltola's fellow frontliner, Caraveo, is also at risk of losing re-election to her Republican challenger. While one September poll puts the Colorado Democrat at a narrow three-point edge, a recent poll from early October puts her in a dead heat with Republican challenger Gabe Evans. Colorado's 8th Congressional District is also perfectly split between Republicans and Democrats, according to Cook Political Report.
Caraveo won her seat in 2022 against Republican candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer by less than 1%.
Since Slotkin opted to run for Senate, Democratic candidate Curtis Hertel and Republican challenger Tom Barrett have gone head to head for the seat. Slotkin flipped the longtime red seat blue in 2022, making the +2 Republican district a potential layup. Polling is also trending in Republicans' favor, with Barrett ahead of Hertel by four to six points.
Slotkin secured her seat in Michigan's 7th Congressional District in 2022 by 5.4%.
Perez, who is also featured on the DCCC's list of vulnerable front-liners, is set to face off against Republican candidate Joe Kent for the second time. Although Perez managed to flip the seat in 2022, she is currently polling dead even against Kent in the +5 Republican district, which may reinstate a red streak in Washington's third congressional district.
Perez, who has refrained from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump, defeated Kent in 2022 by less than 1% after former Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler retired.
Golden, who has served Maine's congressional district for three consecutive terms, is also facing a tight race against Republican candidate Austin Theriault. Despite being a +6 Republican district, Golden won his seat by a 1% margin in 2018 and just over 6% in 2020 and 2022.
Despite his historical electoral advantage, a recent poll shows Golden at a three-point deficit against Theriault.
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Biden reportedly tells campaign staffers, 'I'm not leaving'; Democratic Rep. Grijalva suggests Biden should drop out
As President Joe Biden's re-election effort is engulfed in a political firestorm in the wake of the presidential debate, Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona has suggested that Biden should bow out of the presidential contest.
"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race," the congressman said, according to the New York Times.
The outlet noted that Grijalva described former President Donald Trump as an "anti-democratic, authoritarian despot," but called Biden a "good man" and noted that he will support Biden if he remains in the contest.
'I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win.'
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas has called for Biden to drop out of the contest.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine has said that Trump will win the election.
Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington said she believes Biden will lose the race to Trump.
But Biden, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, has indicated that he will not drop out of the race.
"I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win," Biden stated during a call with campaign staffers, according to the Associated Press.
On the other side of the political aisle, GOP Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Clay Higgins of Louisiana are pushing a resolution that urges Vice President Kamala Harris to seek the removal of Biden from power per the 25th Amendment.
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