CAPAC Leaders Denounce Republican Bill to Restrict Voting Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Grace Meng and CAPAC Civil Rights and Voting Rights Task Force Chair Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott issued a joint statement following the House passage of H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act:

“House Republicans’ so-called SAVE Act is nothing more than a shameful attempt to silence the voices of millions of Americans. This bill will prevent Americans from using their driver’s license or military ID in order to register to vote. It will also eliminate existing voter registration methods, including registering via mail or online. 

“If this bill were to become law, military service members deployed overseas would be forced to return to the U.S. to register to vote. Married women who have changed their surnames would not be allowed to use their birth certificate to prove their citizenship. Twenty-one million eligible voters would need to pay significant fees to obtain documentation needed to cast their ballot.

“Adding unnecessary and expensive barriers to vote will disenfranchise millions of U.S. citizens and disproportionately impact the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. A majority of Asian American eligible voters are naturalized citizens who may lack immediate access to documentation required under this restrictive law. 

“Moreover, President Trump is curtailing language access for individuals with Limited English Proficiency—making up one-third of the AANHPI community—which may affect multilingual assistance in voter registration. He also signed an executive order that would prevent Americans from using their birth certificate to register to vote—an apparent reference to his unlawful order revoking birthright citizenship. These are extreme measures that will suppress AANHPI participation in our elections.

“To be clear, it is already illegal under federal law for noncitizens to cast a ballot. This legislation is not about safeguarding elections; it is a blatant assault on the constitutional rights of millions of Americans. CAPAC stands firm in our commitment to protect Americans’ sacred right to vote and ensure the voices of the AANHPI community are not silenced.”

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Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 79 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.