House Votes to Repeal D.C. Voting Rights Amendment
In a decisive move, the U.S. House of Representatives cast a vote of 266–148 to repeal the Washington, D.C. Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022. This legislation had permitted non-U.S. citizens, including potential undocumented immigrants and foreign agents, to participate in local elections.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) spearheaded the initiative, garnering support from 56 Democrats, which underscores Republican apprehensions regarding D.C.’s progressive policies and their perceived threat to the integrity of American elections.
“PASSED: My bill to prohibit noncitizens from voting in DC elections just passed the House!” Pfluger announced on X, further asserting, “It’s common sense: Only American citizens should be able to vote in U.S. elections!”
✅ PASSED: My bill to prohibit noncitizens from voting in DC elections just passed the House!
It’s common sense: Only American citizens should be able to vote in U.S. elections! pic.twitter.com/AfSYjiyoR6
— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) June 10, 2025
Pfluger elaborated to Fox News, “It’s hard to go back to your district as a Democrat and say, yeah, I want foreign agents to be able to vote in our elections – ‘Oh yeah, it’s not federal elections,’ some may say. But it has an impact on the way the city is run.” He emphasized concerns over potential foreign influence, mentioning that “this could be Russian embassy personnel, they could be Chinese embassy personnel – a number of folks. It’s just wrong. It goes against the fabric of our society.”
The bill, designated as H.R. 884, not only dismantles this expanded voting right but also encroaches on the District’s autonomy by reversing reforms intended to curtail the powers of police unions.
In a separate vote that passed 235–178, lawmakers reinstated collective bargaining rights for the D.C. Police Union, sending a clear message that law enforcement priorities overshadow local governance.
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) condemned the legislation as “paternalistic, undemocratic incursions,” criticizing the vote as more of a stunt for media attention rather than a genuine legislative objective.
This repeal marks the third effort by the House to eliminate non-citizen voting. Previous attempts have faltered in the Democrat-controlled Senate; however, with Republican leadership now in the upper chamber, the repeal bill stands a realistic chance of becoming law.
