South Asheville News

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) and Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-08) have introduced the Equal Representation Act, a bill aimed at addressing the issue of illegal immigrants being included in the count for congressional district apportionment and Electoral College votes.

Currently, illegal immigrants are counted in determining the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes. This has resulted in certain states, such as California and New York, having a disproportionate influence over the electoral system. The Equal Representation Act seeks to rectify this by mandating several key measures.

Firstly, the bill calls for the reinstatement of the citizenship question on the decennial census conducted by the Census Bureau. This would ensure that only United States citizens are counted when determining the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes.

Congressman Edwards emphasizes the importance of accurate representation, stating, "Only American citizens can vote, and only American citizens should be counted when determining federal representation." He further argues that incentivizing illegal immigration and skewing the number of seats and votes is detrimental to the nation.

Congressman Davidson echoes this sentiment, asserting that Congress represents American citizens, not illegal immigrants. He highlights the need for the legislation in response to the Biden administration's open border policies, stating that it is necessary to ensure fair representation for U.S. citizens and protect the value of U.S. citizenship.

The bill also includes a provision for public reporting of all information gathered from the citizenship question, broken down by state, within 120 days after the completion of the decennial census. This transparency would allow for accountability and ensure that decisions regarding redistricting and allocation of resources are based solely on the needs of American citizens.

Ryan Walker, executive vice president of Heritage Action, a conservative advocacy organization, supports the bill and emphasizes the importance of excluding illegal aliens and noncitizens from census data. He argues that including them manipulates the numbers and puts Americans last. Walker praises the Equal Representation Act for putting voting power back in the hands of the American people and preventing the census from being used to cheat hardworking taxpayers out of the representation they deserve.

In conclusion, the Equal Representation Act introduced by Congressman Edwards and Congressman Davidson seeks to address the issue of illegal immigrants skewing congressional representation and Electoral College votes. By reinstating the citizenship question on the decennial census and ensuring that only U.S. citizens are counted, the bill aims to provide fair and equal representation for American citizens in their federal government.