Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Newsmax Wednesday that Democrats are trying to block election-integrity legislation because they "want to make it easy to cheat" when voting.
Johnson told "Carl Higbie: FRONTLINE" that Democrat opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE America Act, proves his point.
"Republicans want to make it easy to vote but impossible to cheat. Democrats want to make it easy to cheat," he said.
Johnson said provisions of the legislation offered by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, are being twisted by Democrats trying to shut it down.
"Does it surprise you the Democrats are misrepresenting?" Johnson asked, adding that Lee's bill allows someone to register to vote simply by affirming U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury.
He said the legislation does not block people who have a right to participate in elections from voting.
"It's not going to be that difficult," Johnson said.
Democrats oppose the legislation, he said, because "any kind of election-security measure" would undermine what he described as their efforts to build a "one-party" political system.
"That's why they flooded the country with millions of illegal immigrants, sent them to sanctuary cities and states to plus up their census numbers ... and then in some way, shape, or form get them to vote for them," Johnson said.
Republicans launched an unprecedented effort on Tuesday to hold the Senate floor and talk for days about the legislation requiring stricter voter registration rules as President Donald Trump pressures Congress to act before November's midterm elections.
The talkathon could last a week or longer, potentially through the weekend, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., tries to navigate Trump's insistence on the issue and Democrats' united opposition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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