Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a co-sponsor of the proposed SAVE Act, which would require voters in federal elections to provide information confirming their U.S. citizenship, said on Newsmax Monday that the measure is not racist or designed to suppress votes, as Democrats are claiming.
"If it was racist, if it was suppressing votes, the 37 states that already require an ID to vote would already [have] been taken to court and would have been overturned," the Oklahoma Republican told Newsmax's "Finnerty," while dismissing objections from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
"You have 37 states that have a voter ID and 13 states that don't, and those 13 states overwhelmingly supported Kamala Harris, and if you look back, they also supported Joe Biden, there's a pattern that has to be followed here," he added.
States with voter ID requirements have secure elections and have not faced credible claims of discrimination tied to the practice, Mullin said.
"The fact is, those 37 states that require it, they have a very secure and highly responsive election, and there have been no complaints about suppressing votes or being a racist tool to suppress the minority," he said.
He also pointed out that Americans must provide identification in several other settings as well.
"[What] the SAVE Act does is it just requires people to have an ID, a federal ID, [or] your REAL ID that everybody had to switch [their] driver's license to," said Mullin. "It's the same ID you have to use to sign up for any social federal programs, by the way."
"It's a moot point what Chuck Schumer is trying to argue," he insisted.
Pressed on why the issue remains politically contentious, Mullin tied the debate to immigration policy and Democratic-run jurisdictions.
"You have to follow the truth behind this," he said. "This is why they have sanctuary cities in these blue states. This is why all these blue states, by the way, allow illegals to vote in their state elections."
Mullin said noncitizens are barred from voting in federal contests, but he claimed that without verification, "there's no way to know it."
"I believe, and I'm not a conspiracy person, but I believe it is part of the bigger plan," he said.
Meanwhile, Mullin said Sen. Mitch McConnell cannot block the legislation but has issued a letter opposing it.
"Mitch isn't able to hold it up, but he has come out with a Dear Colleague letter saying that he opposes it," Mullin said.
"People are like, it's federalizing election, and my point to the group was it's not federalizing," he said. "We're not telling people where or states where, when, and how to have their election. We're just saying that you've got to have an ID to prove that you're a citizen to vote."
Mullin said a vote could be coming within the next few weeks.
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