A Republican congressman from Illinois praised a controversial new voting measure at a town hall last month, calling for a national version of the law that could disenfranchise millions.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), who grabbed headlines for owing his ex-wife over $100,000 in child support and defending big banks against irate constituents, lauded the recent move by some states (Alabama, Kansas, and Tennessee) to require that voters present proof of citizenship before they are given a ballot. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that seven percent of Alabama’s citizens — 240,000 people — do not possess proof of citizenship, such as a passport or a birth certificate, and could be disenfranchised.
But Walsh wasn’t content with just three states employing such laws. “I don’t know why we don’t mandate at the federal level that you have to show proof of citizenship to vote,” declared the Illinois freshman at a town hall in Palatine on February 25.
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