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USA Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
How the GOP's SAVE Act includes 'poison pills' for some voters
How the GOP's SAVE Act includes 'poison pills' for some voters The push by House Republicans and the Trump administration to require voters to show proof of citizenship could imperil Native American votes. Show Caption Hide Caption SAVE Act would make voting harder for spouses who changed names The SAVE Act aims to keep non-citizens from voting, but also could make it more difficult for married people to cast their vote. WASHINGTON ‒ Senate Democrats and voting rights advocates are pushing to defeat a GOP election bill they said could disenfranchise Native American voters. Republicans led passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE Act) in the House, but Democrats and advocates have slammed the bill, which among other things would require voters to show proof of citizenship in person for federal elections. The requirement could be difficult for people in rural areas or on reservations because they sometimes have to travel hours to register in person, advocates said. Married women who took their husband's name have also raised concerns about the requirement that the name on their birth certificate match their current identification. The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires. 'The SAVE Act is really a disastrous bill, and unfortunately it contains many poison pills," said Jacqueline De León, senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. 'As it's currently designed, it would radically disenfranchise Native American voters across the country." Republicans argue the measure is necessary to protect the integrity of elections and to make sure only citizens vote. 'In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election," Texas Rep. Chip Roy, the GOP sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate where Democrats vow to fight it. Republicans in the Senate have a 53 to 47 majority so at least seven Democrats would have to join Republicans to pass the bill and overcome the chamber's 60-vote threshold. Barriers to voting Advocates noted that noncitizens are already not allowed to vote in federal elections. There is no evidence that that is happening in significant numbers, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Voting rights advocates said requirements in the SAVE Act would create more hurdles for people living in rural communities and on reservations who sometimes have to travel hundreds of miles to register in person. 'It's sort of an amplified dynamic of the rural voter experience and challenges to have to present in person your citizenship documents to register vote," said Sen. Alex Padilla, of California whose state he said is home to more federally recognized tribes than any other. "If you live down the street from the county courthouse, that's one thing," he said. "But if you're literally a couple of hours from the county seat with limited transportation options, it can pose a significant challenge.' De León said long trips to registrar offices are particularly problematic in Alaska where many Native communities inhabit remote locations. Some require a plane to get to them, she said. 'The fact that Native Americans aren't receiving fair access to register to county seats and to elections offices is in and of itself a problem," De León said. 'But then to require the administration to be placed at those offices means that Native Americans are now doubly disenfranchised." Among the identifications allowed under the bill are passports and tribal IDs that include the place of birth. But advocates argue many Native Americans don't have a passport and can't afford the $130 cost to get one. De León said she doesn't know of any tribal ID that includes the place of birth. 'It's sort of disingenuous to say that tribal IDs are accepted," she said. Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, called it "a red herring," saying most Native voters don't have a tribal ID that would satisfy the bill requirements. 'The bill would harm all American voters," she said. "It would especially burden voters of color and it would especially burden Native voters." Many Native American elders also lack birth certificates, De León said. 'The SAVE Act preys upon the structural deficiencies in Native American communities and makes it difficult and at times impossible for them to comply," she said. GOP wants citizenship proof Roy praised the House for passing the Republican legislation by a vote of 220 to 208, "despite the ridiculous attacks and purposeful misinformation spread about the bill." Lawmakers voted April 10 mostly along party line with four Democrats supporting the bill. In addition to proof of citizenship, the bill also would require states to remove anyone identified as a noncitizen from voter rolls. Supporters have argued that ID requirements have not stopped people from registering to vote. They point to Georgia where state election officials adopted sweeping election reforms, including requiring a photo ID to vote absentee by mail, after the 2020 election. Voting rights advocates had said the state law could disenfranchise many voters of color. 'Turnout and registration numbers show that not only were these provisions not discriminatory, but they had record registration and turnout in Georgia," said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. More: Voters in Georgia are already lining up at the polls In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order also calling for proof of citizenship in federal elections. The order was part of Trump's continued false claim that he lost the 2020 presidential in part because of voter fraud. "This country is so sick because of the fake elections and the bad elections, and we're going to straighten it out one way or the other," Trump said before signing the order. Advocates warn that Trump's order and the SAVE Act will discourage voting, particularly among people of color. "The executive order and the SAVE Act are really two sides of the same coin and again reflect this emerging threat that the federal government is getting into the voter suppression business, which is alarming and a dangerous sign for our democracy,' Sweren-Becker said. Contributing: Riley Beggin, Trevor Hughes Follow Deborah Berry on X at @dberrygannett and on Bluesky at @
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How the GOP's SAVE Act includes 'poison pills' for some voters
WASHINGTON ‒ Senate Democrats and voting rights advocates are pushing to defeat a GOP election bill they said could disenfranchise Native American voters. Republicans led passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE Act) in the House, but Democrats and advocates have slammed the bill, which among other things would require voters to show proof of citizenship in person for federal elections. The requirement could be difficult for people in rural areas or on reservations because they sometimes have to travel hours to register in person, advocates said. Married women who took their husband's name have also raised concerns about the requirement that the name on their birth certificate match their current identification. The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires. 'The SAVE Act is really a disastrous bill, and unfortunately it contains many poison pills," said Jacqueline De León, senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. 'As it's currently designed, it would radically disenfranchise Native American voters across the country." Republicans argue the measure is necessary to protect the integrity of elections and to make sure only citizens vote. 'In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election," Texas Rep. Chip Roy, the GOP sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate where Democrats vow to fight it. Republicans in the Senate have a 53 to 47 majority so at least seven Democrats would have to join Republicans to pass the bill and overcome the chamber's 60-vote threshold. Advocates noted that noncitizens are already not allowed to vote in federal elections. There is no evidence that that is happening in significant numbers, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Voting rights advocates said requirements in the SAVE Act would create more hurdles for people living in rural communities and on reservations who sometimes have to travel hundreds of miles to register in person. 'It's sort of an amplified dynamic of the rural voter experience and challenges to have to present in person your citizenship documents to register vote," said Sen. Alex Padilla, of California whose state he said is home to more federally recognized tribes than any other. "If you live down the street from the county courthouse, that's one thing," he said. "But if you're literally a couple of hours from the county seat with limited transportation options, it can pose a significant challenge.' De León said long trips to registrar offices are particularly problematic in Alaska where many Native communities inhabit remote locations. Some require a plane to get to them, she said. 'The fact that Native Americans aren't receiving fair access to register to county seats and to elections offices is in and of itself a problem," De León said. 'But then to require the administration to be placed at those offices means that Native Americans are now doubly disenfranchised." Among the identifications allowed under the bill are passports and tribal IDs that include the place of birth. But advocates argue many Native Americans don't have a passport and can't afford the $130 cost to get one. De León said she doesn't know of any tribal ID that includes the place of birth. 'It's sort of disingenuous to say that tribal IDs are accepted," she said. Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, called it "a red herring," saying most Native voters don't have a tribal ID that would satisfy the bill requirements. 'The bill would harm all American voters," she said. "It would especially burden voters of color and it would especially burden Native voters." Many Native American elders also lack birth certificates, De León said. 'The SAVE Act preys upon the structural deficiencies in Native American communities and makes it difficult and at times impossible for them to comply," she said. Roy praised the House for passing the Republican legislation by a vote of 220 to 208, "despite the ridiculous attacks and purposeful misinformation spread about the bill." Lawmakers voted April 10 mostly along party line with four Democrats supporting the bill. In addition to proof of citizenship, the bill also would require states to remove anyone identified as a noncitizen from voter rolls. Supporters have argued that ID requirements have not stopped people from registering to vote. They point to Georgia where state election officials adopted sweeping election reforms, including requiring a photo ID to vote absentee by mail, after the 2020 election. Voting rights advocates had said the state law could disenfranchise many voters of color. 'Turnout and registration numbers show that not only were these provisions not discriminatory, but they had record registration and turnout in Georgia," said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. More: Voters in Georgia are already lining up at the polls In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order also calling for proof of citizenship in federal elections. The order was part of Trump's continued false claim that he lost the 2020 presidential in part because of voter fraud. "This country is so sick because of the fake elections and the bad elections, and we're going to straighten it out one way or the other," Trump said before signing the order. Advocates warn that Trump's order and the SAVE Act will discourage voting, particularly among people of color. "The executive order and the SAVE Act are really two sides of the same coin and again reflect this emerging threat that the federal government is getting into the voter suppression business, which is alarming and a dangerous sign for our democracy,' Sweren-Becker said. Contributing: Riley Beggin, Trevor Hughes Follow Deborah Berry on X at @dberrygannett and on Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP's SAVE Act has 'poison pills' for Native American voters
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tribes, Native students sue feds over education cuts
Mar. 10—A coalition of tribal nations and students is suing the federal government over major cuts to a pair of colleges and a federal agency serving Native American students. The staffing cuts, part of President Donald Trump's effort to reduce the federal workforce, have slashed basic services on the campuses of Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, known as SIPI, in New Mexico. The lawsuit says the feds failed to notify or consult with tribal nations prior to making the cuts. The lawsuit notes that those schools — as well as the federal Bureau of Indian Education — are part of a system that fulfills the federal government's legal obligation to provide education for Native people. Tribal nations secured that right in a series of treaties in exchange for conceding land. "The United States government has legal obligations to Tribal Nations that they agreed to in treaties and have been written into federal law," Jacqueline De León, staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, the legal group leading the lawsuit, said in a statement announcing the case. "The abrupt and drastic changes that happened since February, without consultation or even pre-notification, are completely illegal." Three tribal nations and five Native students have joined the lawsuit. Asked about the case, federal officials told media outlets they do not comment on pending litigation. According to Haskell student Ella Bowen, cuts to custodial staff have left bathrooms with overflowing trash cans and no toilet paper. SIPI student Kaiya Jade Brown said that school's campus has suffered from power outages because of a lack of maintenance workers. Both schools lost roughly a quarter of their staff last month after Trump and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency task force ordered major cuts across a slew of federal agencies. While the schools have since been able to hire back some instructional staff, "[i]t is not even close to enough," Native American Rights Fund Deputy Director Matthew Campbell said in the statement. Thirty-four courses at Haskell lost their instructors in February, according to the statement. Some students have reported delays in their financial aid, and SIPI students are dealing with brown, unsafe tap water, with repairs put on hold due to the cuts, the statement said. And the school did not have enough faculty to administer midterm exams. The Pueblo of Isleta; the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are suing the feds. "Despite having a treaty obligation to provide educational opportunities to Tribal students, the federal government has long failed to offer adequate services," Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Lieutenant Governor Hershel Gorham said in the statement. "Just when the Bureau of Indian Education was taking steps to fix the situation, these cuts undermined all those efforts. These institutions are precious to our communities, we won't sit by and watch them fail." Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at [email protected]. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
New York Times
09-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Tribes and Students Sue Trump Administration Over Firings at Native Schools
A group of Native American tribes and students is suing the Trump administration to reverse its recent firing of federal workers at Native schools that they said has severely lowered their quality of education. The firings, part of the series of layoffs led by the Department of Government Efficiency that have cut thousands of federal jobs since January, included nearly one quarter of the staff members at the only two federally run colleges for Native people in the country: Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque. Instructors, a basketball coach, and security and maintenance workers were among those who were fired or forced to resign in February. Although the total number of layoffs was not clear on Sunday, the reductions also included employees at the central and regional offices of the Bureau of Indian Education, a federal agency. Some staff members, but not all, have been rehired, according to a statement from the Native American Rights Fund, which filed the suit on Friday in federal court in Washington. About 45,000 children are enrolled in bureau-funded schools in 23 states. As a result of the cuts, dozens of courses at the two colleges lost instructors, according to the lawsuit. And because of the loss of support staff and maintenance workers, school dorms were quickly overrun with garbage, students reported undrinkable brown water, dining halls failed to adequately feed students, and widespread power outages hampered students' ability to study. 'Unfortunately, these firings were done without preparation and without regard to the health and safety of the students, and that is a continuation of a history of neglect and disrespect,' Jacqueline De León, a lawyer for the tribes and students, said. 'We are here to fight to make sure that it doesn't continue.' Lawyers with the Native American Rights Fund filed the suit against the heads of the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Indian Education Programs. Plaintiffs included the tribal nations of the Pueblo of Isleta; the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Five students from the two colleges are also among the plaintiffs. A spokesman for the Interior Department, which houses the Bureaus of Indian Education and Indian Affairs, said the department does not comment on pending litigation. The federal government has a legal obligation, known as the federal Indian trust responsibility, to protect and maintain the special relationship it has with federally recognized tribes. Included in this obligation, which was supported by federal courts as early as 1831, are requirements to uphold tribal sovereignty, work with tribes on projects and policies that affect them, and respect tribes' right to make decisions in their own best interest. By not consulting with tribes on the firings, the lawsuit said, the government violated the trust requirement. 'Despite having a treaty obligation to provide educational opportunities to Tribal students, the federal government has long failed to offer adequate services,' Hershel Gorham, the lieutenant governor of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, said in a statement. 'Just when the Bureau of Indian Education was taking steps to fix the situation, these cuts undermined all those efforts. These institutions are precious to our communities; we won't sit by and watch them fail.' The U.S. government has a fraught history with Native schools. Over more than 150 years, hundreds of thousands of Native children were sent to boarding schools, often after being removed from their homes, to assimilate with non-Native culture. Abuse and neglect were common at the original assimilation schools, and mass graves have been located near such institutions across the country. More than 100 people are buried in one such cemetery at Haskell. Federal funding of tribal schools has also steadily decreased since 2010, along with the enrollment of Native American and Alaska Native students. According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, a nonprofit research organization, Native American and Alaska Native students account for the smallest ethnic group in the country, making up less than 1 percent of students enrolled in postsecondary schools in 2021, the latest year for which data was available.
