The government's fiscal year ends on September 30, which means FY25 begins on October 1. That's three weeks away.
Naturally we need a federal budget in place by then, but that's a laughable impossibility with Republicans in charge of the House. The best we can hope for is a continuing resolution to keep the lights on for six months while we wrangle over an actual budget.
Of course—did I mention that Republicans control the House?—there's a catch: Speaker Mike Johnson insists he won't pass even a CR unless Democrats agree to pass the SAVE Act along with it. This is a "statement" piece of legislation that would require proof of citizenship before you can register to vote.
The SAVE Act probably wouldn't actually affect voter registration much, but what a pain in the ass. I, of course, would just show my passport and be on my way. But lots of people don't have passports. Nor do they have an official, stamped birth certificate, so they'll have to track one down. And for what?
The argument is simple. Democrats say there's virtually no noncitizen registration, so why bother fixing a problem that doesn't exist? Republicans say: maybe so, but what's the harm of requiring proof of citizenship?
Meanwhile, I'd like to remind both sides that if they're actually serious there's an easy solution: free national ID cards. You'd have to show your ID to register, so Republicans get what they want. However, acquiring ID is free and easy, so Democrats get what they want.
Outside of the UK and its former colonies, virtually every country in the world offers free identity cards to its residents. Some are compulsory and some aren't, but everybody gets one regardless because they're really convenient. The US already has such a card (the passport card), so that part is done. All that's left is to make it free and urge everybody to get one. What's not to like?
Wtf Real ID?
Even if the "national ID" were free, the supporting documents to verify citizenship are not. Ordering a California certified birth certificate is $32. I don't know what the current delay time is now, but I ordered one a couple of years ago and it took over 90 days to be delivered. Definitely not "easy" or "free".
In Minnesota the desk jockey walked back to print it off for $15.
Maybe you guys have too much bureaucracy.
Speaking as one of those commonwealth folks -what's not to like is that required ID's upend the relationship between person and government - it is not for us to be good little units minding our governments business, it is the governments responsibility to mind ours.
It's so easy to just add more and more checkpoints and purposes onto the need to have your government Id, each one another shackle on your life easily locked and closed by official fiat at any moment. Relying on the good will of authority is an error, the mechanism to impose it's will should not exist rather than be trusted.
Kevin, I would NOT post an image of your passport card on the open Internet if I were you. Someone could use it to impersonate you for nefarious purposes. I once worked for the government and I have seen such photos used in the context of identity theft.
Here's a good compromise: require proof of citizenship, but put the onus of the voter registration office to look up your birth or naturalization records. That gives proof without hassle to the voter.