Elon Musk, the renowned tech mogul, recently expressed his support for a bill proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., aimed at ensuring that only American citizens can participate in federal elections.
Musk's strong stance was evident when he labeled those opposing the bill as "TRAITORS," and provocatively questioned the punishment for treason in the United States.
According to Fox Business, Johnson first introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, initially advocated by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, earlier this year. In the lead-up to the week-long recess for the Fourth of July, Johnson circulated a memo within the House GOP conference, articulating the necessity of the bill.
Johnson continued to advocate for the bill on Musk's social media platform, X, last Friday. "The SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections," Johnson declared. He further elaborated on the legislation's provisions in a series of posts.
Johnson explained that the bill mandates state election officials to inquire about citizenship before distributing voter registration forms. It also necessitates individuals to furnish proof of citizenship prior to registering for federal elections. The bill allows state officials to accept various documents to facilitate citizens' voter registration and grants states access to a federal agency database. This database will enable them to remove noncitizens from voter rolls and verify citizenship for those lacking proof.
Furthermore, the bill instructs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to consider initiating removal proceedings for noncitizens identified as having registered to vote in federal elections. It also requires the DHS to inform state chief election officials when an individual has been naturalized, thereby enabling them to exercise their newfound voting rights.
Musk, in response to Johnson's posts, made his stance clear. "Those who oppose this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS," he stated. "What is the penalty for traitors again?"
The U.S. Constitution stipulates that traitors guilty of treason should be sentenced to death or imprisoned for no less than five years. Additionally, they should be fined no less than $10,000 and be permanently barred from holding office in the U.S.
Congress is slated to reconvene in Washington, D.C., on Monday. The timing of the vote on the SAVE Act this month is noteworthy, as it comes less than six months before former President Trump's anticipated rematch with President Biden.
However, Democratic critics of the SAVE Act argue that the legislation is redundant, given that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
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