Rep. Tenney to Newsmax: Dem Anti-Voter ID Stance 'Misogynistic, Racist'

Democrats' stance against voter ID is, among other things, "misogynistic and it's racist," Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., told Newsmax on Thursday.

Appearing on "Wake Up America" with co-hosts Marc Lotter and Sharla McBride, Tenney blasted Senate Democrats for opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, legislation requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

The House on Wednesday passed the legislation, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has signaled resistance in the upper chamber.

Polling cited by supporters of the bill shows broad public backing for voter ID laws, with surveys from groups such as the Pew Research Center and Gallup in recent years consistently finding strong bipartisan support for identification requirements at the ballot box.

Tenney, who chairs the Election Integrity Caucus, argued that the issue is about "one citizen, one vote."

"This is such common sense," Tenney said, pointing to her own contested 2020 race in New York, which took more than 100 days to resolve in court before she was declared the winner by 109 votes.

She said that experience prompted her to found the caucus and push for stronger election safeguards.

Tenney accused Democrats of undermining confidence in elections when they are not winning and said arguments that voter ID laws disproportionately harm women or minorities are "absurd."

"I am a woman who got divorced and changed my name back to my maiden name," Tenney said.

"Even today I have to show proof that I have a divorce decree … This is absurd that somebody who happens to be a minority or a woman is being affected by this.

"This is just asinine, and actually, it's insulting. It's misogynistic and it's racist."

Democrats and left-leaning advocacy groups have long argued that strict voter ID requirements can create barriers for some voters, particularly the elderly, low-income individuals, and minorities who may lack access to documentation.

However, supporters counter that identification is required for numerous everyday activities — from boarding a plane to purchasing certain medications — and that elections should meet at least the same standard.

The SAVE America Act comes amid broader Republican efforts nationwide to tighten election laws following the contentious 2020 presidential race.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, dozens of states have enacted or strengthened voter ID requirements in recent years.

Tenney also criticized Democrats over a looming Department of Homeland Security funding fight, accusing them of engaging in "political theater" that could jeopardize funding for agencies such as TSA and the Coast Guard.

But on voter ID, she said the stakes are foundational.

"What is more important than proving that you are who you say you are?" Tenney asked. "Only citizens can vote in our elections. That's the Constitution."

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