The Daily Signal - Two Freedom Caucus Lawmakers Say They Will Not Support Spending Package Without SAVE Act

Episode Date: September 10, 2024

Description: Representatives Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, said they will only vote for the continuing resolution to fund the federal government if it includes the SAVE Act, which compels proof of citizenship for voters. Norman and Roy spoke to "The Daily Signal Podcast" at the State Freedom Caucus Summit in Dallas, Texas on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Tuesday, September 10th. I'm Elizabeth Mitchell, and I sat down with Representative Ralph Norman and Representative Chip Roy in Dallas, Texas at the State Freedom Caucus Summit. We discussed what to expect from the House of Representatives discussion on Wednesday of the spending package to which Republicans successfully attached an election integrity measure called the Save Act. Now stay tuned for my conversations with Representative Norman and Representative Roy after this. Get ready for the political showdown of the year. Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern, the Tony Kinnock cast brings you exclusive daily signal coverage of the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Our expert team breaks down every argument, fact checks in real time, and gives you the analysis you need to stay informed. Don't miss a single moment of this crucial event in the race for the White House.

Tune in to the Tony Kinnett cast for comprehensive debate coverage starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Tuesday. I'm Elizabeth Mitchell, and I'm in Dallas, Texas with Representative Ralph Norman. You and many other House Republicans have said you hope to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to legislation to fund the government. What is the SAVE Act? Save Act is basically an act that, you know, we all take the, anybody that puts signs a voter application checks out that you're an American citizen. What this does is put safeguards in there. You have to provide either a government ID that's valid. a military ID, a social security card, and it just validates that your assistance, which is, should not be a question.

And it puts penalties in there, the federal official does not abide by that. And you can bring a civil action. So it's a common sense act that we need to tie with the CR. And I can't imagine anybody voting against it. How do you expect Democrats to respond to a CR with the SAVE Act in it? Well, they reject it. They'll say, you're going to shut the government down. They don't believe in verification of voting. I mean, they've been against that. When we passed a save act in June, 198 voted against it.

And the four did go with it, but I don't expect them to support it. Are you concerned about a potential government shutdown? Absolutely not. This is the hill to down, as Speaker Johnson said earlier. And again, it shouldn't even be a question why anybody would say that this is unfair, unsafe. It's in the Constitution. You have said that you would like the budget bill to fund the federal government through early next year. Could you explain the implications of that and why you think that's the best way to formulate the bill?

First of all, I think you're going to have a shift in who we have as president. I think we're going to take the Senate and I think we're going to keep the House. actually enlarge the majority in the house. You know, it's very important during Trump's first 100 days to hit the ground running, to get us on a physical path that makes us viable. And, you know, we've got so many things to do, including the extended tax cuts and the Jobs Act, which is expired.

And I think it's important to have the latitude to re-examine the budget and hopefully, cut it. And it's been a long time since Congress had a budget ready to go on October 1st. Why do you think this has become so common? Well, it doesn't need to be common. We need to take it up. You know, you've got 12 appropriations. We put up six at the House. We voted on five that passed. And, you know, we need to be get back the regular order and pass these well, and have the debate well beyond the cutoff date of September 30. that's if you talk to any business in America if you talk to any family budget they do it you know when they need to do it and do it early on we just haven't divided by that

do you expect illegal immigrants to vote in the 2024 election if the save act is not passed they're voting now I mean there as it's shown in North Carolina it's alleged there were over 200,000 that are on the rolls South Carolina sent a letter that asked for the Homeland Security to provide their records department, to divide to divulge the names of those who have registered to vote in South Carolina for the last year. As usual, they don't respond. So we'll sue them. What are the biggest issues for South Carolinians in the November election? The invasion at the border, the border czar has not done the job.

the inflation that's hit every American, the crime that's plaguing the country in every state, supply chain shortages, our mishandling of the Afghan debacle where Americans died as a direct result of what this administration has done. All those add up to a dismal record for the last four years. And this administration, I can't think of one thing. that's been a positive for the American people, and I think they're going to show that at the polls. How has illegal immigration affected South Carolina in particular? Illegal immigration is affected not just South Carolina, but go to any street.

You'll see people that we haven't seen before with backpacks. The most sad aspect of all of this invasion, and that's what it is, it's invasion, is the 300,000, plus children who came over without a parent or a guardian and are unaccounted for. That's a, we know what they're probably into. They're being abused. They're into sex trafficking. Imagine a minor not being able to speak the language, not having job skills, coming into any country. And to come into America.

and if you put that in terms that we all understand now the football season is here, most college stadiums hold 82,000. That's four college stadiums jam-packed with children. And the blood is on the administration's hand for allowing this. And we're at the State Freedom Caucus Summit. What issues do you hope to see addressed in State Freedom Caucuses across the country? The great thing about the members of the State Freedom Caucus, South Carolina is the one I'm familiar with.

They're bold, they're courageous, they'll take a stand, they'll question how tax dollars are spent. They will be for less government, less taxes, less government intervention, and they're fighters. They're doing what we're doing on the national level, they'll do on the state level. And they're engaging people of the ordinary man who wants his government to be accountable.

And they're winning elections. What are some must-haves in the CR for you to vote for it? Well, you know, it's $1.7 trillion. Is it where I wanted to be for spending? No, but this administration vetoes everything. The Senate is going to pretty much throw up every roadblock they can. Their motorist operandi is to spend our tax money, and it's money we don't have. We all hear the $35 trillion in the $35 trillion.

in debt, it's far more than that when you count Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare. So we cannot sustain this level of spending. And imagine actually cutting spending, and it only in Washington, D.C. is a cut just a reduction in the amount of increase. That's kind of what we face. We cannot keep doing it. And I'm on the Budget Committee. We've got a 10-year budget that we're trying to get to the floor to vote on.

and hopefully we'll do that at some point. What would be some potential deal breakers for you in the CR? If they take the save out of doubt, that's a must to me. And I tell you, we should have had, as we discussed, border control. Legal immigration is the only way that we ought to accept people from other countries. and to allow it for the last four years is criminal and its anti-the-constitution. And what would happen if House Republicans refused to vote for a CR, which did not have the Save Act in it? Well, I guess it'll just go to the vote.

And we'll see who we've already had some, but for some odd reasons to say they don't like to say that. You know, if they don't like it, change the Constitution, allow everybody the vote. vote. That's what the Democrats like. But hopefully they'll, we can have a united front. And if the government shuts down, there are a lot of ways to have a modified shutdown. You can put forward the five bills that Andy talked about, Andy Biggs talked about today. You can put forward the military, the other spending that secures those that, you know, the Border Patrol, as an example, that secures that and then take up the rest in March. I think the Democrats won't to be allowed to lock the spending in and want to have it on the lame duct session, that's a no-brainer.

That's a non-starter for me. Do you expect all House Republicans to support the SAVE Act? I would hope they would, but knowing Congress like I do, no, you'll have some defectors for different reasons. What do you think some of those reasons could be? A lot of people think it's a poison pill, but is the constitution of poison pill? A lot of people think that they don't want to have a shutdown under any condition. When do we fight? When are we going to take a stand against something that's probably the biggest cancer in this country today?

Other than our spending, the border invasion is spending, and it's putting a burden on this country as we've never seen before. The good news is Donald Trump will correct all that. It'll be a mass deportation, and it couldn't come quick enough. But the people we have, particularly the Democrats, the reason they are allowing this in the first place is to expand the census with their numbers and to keep them in power, pure and simple. What are some other key issues for the House Freedom Caucus this year? The Rules Committee, we've got to have, we're going to take an active role in the rules as we approach to 219th Congress, the physical insanity that's going on. The only thing this administration has done well, Elizabeth, has given us things to cut.

DEI, as an example, has got to come out. The wokeism, the green failed deal is something that we've got to cut. Look, we can't spend money we don't have. And as soon as we face that, the better off where this country is going to be. Do you have hope for the future of the country? Yes, I have hope. I think people are stepping up. And what gives me hope is what I saw this weekend.

The members of the Freedom Caucus are people stepping up, ordinary people that had not been tainted by government. And it couldn't come quick enough. We're rapidly approaching at the end of the runway, as you say. You can't take off at the end of the runway. And for us to come back, for young people like you, to use your God-given talent, have freedom. It boils back to one word, freedom.

and hopefully we'll get that back. Awesome. Thank you so much. That was Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Now we're switching gears to Representative Chip Roy's takes on what he expects for the spending package discussion on Wednesday. Congress returns to Washington, D.C. next week, and it's time to pass a spending package. You've been the leader of the charge

to attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to the spending package. Could you tell us about what went into making that happen? Well, the bill is pretty simple. The bill requires documentary proof of citizenship for people to register a vote in the United States. It's necessary because current federal law is being interpreted to prevent states from being able to actually do the checking. So it's not enough to just say it's illegal. You've got to be able to stop it. You've got to be able to check it.

Federal law prohibits it. So this bill would not only fix that glitch, but it would actually require states to do this. We're attaching it. Look, we passed it in July. Passed that overwhelmingly. Republican support, I think, either unanimous or, close to it. Five Democrats voted for it, but obviously Chuck Schumer won't move it. He doesn't want to force a vote on it because he knows some of his Democrats would vote for it.

We believe it's a good move for us to attach it to a simple, basically continuation of current spending levels that is basically a spending freeze until March. So while, you know, CRs aren't perfect. I'd rather have appropriations bills done. We don't. We only have five of the 12 done. So I support the move to take a continuing resolution that will fund government. government at roughly current levels, that is, effectively free spending through March, get it past a lame duck, don't give the pen to Democrats to continue to advance their weaponized government policies, give the pen to Donald Trump and Republican House and Senate in March,

and then attach the SAVE Act to say that we only believe that American citizens should vote in American elections. I don't think that's a really hard thing to go campaign on. I think it would be something we can go fight and win on. And the SAVE Act would amend the National Voters Registration Act to make it a federal crime for non-citizens to register to vote. Could you tell us about the NVRA and why Republicans believe it needs to be amended? Well, to be clear, the NVRA, I mean, it is already illegal to vote in the United States. Now, this would increase penalties for those complicit in registering non-citizens to vote.

But it is already illegal. It's just not enforced. There's no mechanism for enforcing it. So the Save Act would enforce it. It's a good bill. Like said, it's bipartisan. We had significant support from allies that understand election law, upward, you know, backwards and forwards.

And we believe that attaching it to a funding bill that's moving is important to force the issue and have the fight the American people need to see. It's an 85% issue, an 80-plus percent issue, depending on which poll you're looking at. And, you know, if Democrats want to go to the American people and say there are four non-citizens voting, be my guest. We're not. You've said Americans are more concerned about election integrity than a potential government shutdown. Why is that?

Because they're rational human beings who want their country back. They also know that all of this talk about government shutdowns is D.C. swamp bull-uh, it's not real. And so they want us to actually stand up and fight for them. All that ever happens, rinse and repeat, and there's a good chance it'll happen again, is that you've got a big block of us. who come here wanting to honor what we said we would do, which is fight for the American people.

And you've got generally a smaller block of Republicans who go, oh, but we can't do that because there might be a shutdown. So what do we do? And then what happens? America gets destroyed. How do you end up at $35 trillion of debt? How do you end up with wide open borders

where there are literal gangs who are marauding across the streets in various cities across America? Where you've got literally 100,000 Americans dying from fentanyl poisoning and opioid poisonings last year alone. Seven and a half million people released into the United States. How many Americans dead?

All of it. It didn't just happen overnight. It happened because Democrats don't really want to preserve and protect these strong and sovereign America. They don't believe in it, actually. And Republicans, too often just capitulate out of fear of losing an election certificate they'll never actually use. How about you actually use it?

And then if the people like what you're doing, they'll send you back. If they don't, they won't. But how about you risk you are precious to quote the Lord of the Rings? What are some requirements for you to vote for the CR? It must not expire in December to give the pen to Democrats and a lame duck to spend a whole bunch of money. Not just Democrats, by the way, big spending Republican appropriators. So it must not expire in December. It must be as close to current levels as possible.

You know, I understand there's one or two things. I think I've seen a bill that's got some funding for submarine in it that I think will check against defense spending. I'm probably okay with that. you know, there's some other things. You know, there might be some disaster funding in there that I don't like. That's a strike, but I'll take it under advisement. But there's some things that are kind of on the margins. But so long as it basically continues current spending levels,

so you're freezing spending and kicking into 25, and so long as we attach the Save Act, I'm on board. And, you know, we can decide when you get to September 30th, if Democrats refused it. By the way, I don't accept the premise that Chuck Schumer can readily just punt this aside. You asked me whether John Tester or whether, I don't know, Sherrod Brown, you asked me whether some of these Democrats in really tough races, what's your name, Baldwin or whatever, ask me whether any of these senators, whether they want to vote against a bill that says that only American citizens may register to vote in federal elections in America. I'd like to see Chuck Schumer put that on the floor. I'd like to see how those Senate Democrats would vote.

And you know what, depending on what they do, then we can decide. But you make your judgment calls based on what's in front of you. What is your argument to House Democrats to support the SAVE Act? That 85% of Americans and anybody who's rational believes that only American citizens should vote and that you can't hide behind the fact that it is currently only legal for citizens to vote, i.e. illegal for non-citizens to vote. You have to actually give the tools to enforce it, right? I mean, he said, well, it's illegal to speed, but you literally never enforce it,

that everybody will speed. So, you know, right now, Arizona has two systems in place because federal courts have said they can't check citizenship. What good is it to have a law that you don't check? Democrats don't want that check. So my argument is that Democrats should honor the bull crap they're spewing that it's, that it's illegal. How will the election year influence the upcoming spending fight? Well, I mean, it obviously puts former President Trump front and center in the overall messaging for the next two months. And so as we make our decisions here in September, as Congress, you know, we control the purse strings, then we'll see how this unfolds. But obviously President Trump is a key, a key factor in that. And then, you know, we know there's a lot of

pressure for people to get out of town in September and go campaign in October. So that's obviously going to impact everything. As we are two months out from the election, do you think Republicans will maintain control of the House and the Senate? If we've fight for the American people, absolutely. But we've got to demonstrate that we're fighting for them, and that's what the next 60 days need to be about, you know, and express confidence that we're going to actually deliver, if given another chance, that we're going to deliver on securing the border of the United States and securing our communities. Like, this is an election about security, prosperity, and sanity. Okay? We need to secure this country with a strong military that is

sparingly used, secure borders, and securing our communities so that we don't have criminals running on the streets. We need to make sure we have prosperity by getting rid of the regulatory state that is crippling business and driving up the cost of goods, including the Inflation Reduction Act. We need to stop spending money we don't have so you can drive inflation down. Then you need to restore sanity by ending all this woke weaponized government that's destroying our culture and our way of life. So secure America, make us prosperous again by getting government out of the way and ending all the nonsense and restore sanity by ending all this crazy woke stuff. If we do that and we lead, America will give us an even bigger majority in the House of the Senate.

We have a presidential debate on Tuesday. What issues do you hope to see from the candidates? Everything I just said. Great. Awesome. Well, thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening to the interview edition of the Daily Signal podcast, where I was able to sit down with both Representative Ralph Norman and Representative Chip Roy about the upcoming spending bill debate on the House floor. Please be sure to tune in later today to the Daily Signal podcast. Top News Edition, where we outline the headlines of the day. Also, make sure to subscribe to The Daily Signal wherever you get your podcasts and help us reach

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