MI GOP U.S. House Members Get Fired Up Defending Citizen-Only Voting
- Apr 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 18
Swing state leaders from the Election Integrity Network join the celebration.
By Kristine Christlieb, MFEI News & Commentary Editor
April 15, 2025
The week of April 3-10 Michigan’s Republican U. S. House of Representatives delegation rose up in an historic display of unity, taking two decisive actions in support of citizens-only voting.
The first round of unified U.S. House GOP action began on April 3 with Jocelyn Benson’s Department of State issuing a statement saying it had released the results of an “initial review” that identified 15 credible cases of noncitizens voting in the 2024 General Election.
Benson’s office characterized the review as confirming its position that “credible cases of noncitizens casting a ballot in Michigan elections are extremely rare.”
Lightning Response Letter Fired Off to Benson
Michigan’s GOP House members responded in less than 24 hours, shooting off a letter to Benson, pointing out her count was already inaccurate because it hadn’t included Chinese student Haoxiang Gao among the noncitizens voting in Michigan. The Michigan Republicans told Benson, “The fact that at least 16 noncitizens were able to register and then vote is unacceptable.”
Michigan State Representative Rachelle Smit, Chair of the state’s House Election Integrity Committee, also expressed her concern. In a statement released on April 7, Smit said, “It’s deeply troubling to me that our secretary of state told Congress that non-citizens weren’t voting in our elections just a couple months before November.” Smit continued, “Now she admits they are voting in our elections, and at least 15 of them had their ballots tabulated and counted. That’s 15 Michigan taxpaying residents who had their votes illegally cancelled out by people who shouldn’t have been at the polls to begin with.”
Patrice Johnson, founder and chair of Michigan Fair Elections Institute, reflected on the Congressional legislators show of strength and unity. “Republicans are independent thinkers. GOP leaders have often found it difficult to muster a unified front on anything. But on this issue — citizens-only voting — there is widespread, bipartisan support. These Michigan Republicans are protecting a right they know the vast majority of their constituents, both Republican and Democrat, believe is fundamental.”
Second Punch — The SAVE Act Passes the House
In their letter, the Michigan Republican House members asked for Benson’s swift response to eight questions, one of which directly related to her opposition to the SAVE Act.
In your estimation, how many noncitizens need to show up in state voting records for you to support Congress’s efforts on election integrity through the SAVE Act?
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act requires individuals to prove their U. S. citizenship before registering to vote and prohibits states from processing voter registrations without citizenship documentation.
On April 10, while debating the SAVE bill, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tx 21), its sponsor, thanked Cleta Mitchell, Chair of the Election Integrity Network, for her role in the bill’s development. View video here.
Minutes later, at 11:23 ET, Michigan Republican House members joined other Republicans in delivering a second defensive move to protect America’s elections. They voted unanimously to pass the SAVE Act. Four House Democrats joined Republicans, so the final vote count was 220 to 208.
Cleta Mitchell, Chair of the Election Integrity Network, displays the official vote count tally slip.
The slip was awarded to her on April 10 and signed by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives (R-La) and Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader (R-La).
The Brennan Center for Justice, known for its progressive policy positions, fired back on Instagram. “The House of Representatives just passed the SAVE Act, the bill that could disenfranchise millions of American citizens. If it were enacted into law, it would be one of the worst voting laws ever passed by Congress. The Senate must vote to reject it,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, Director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights Program.”
In a press conference on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called opposition to the SAVE Act “fearmongering,” and said the legislation was a “commonsense measure.”
Election Integrity Network (EIN) leaders from swing states gather in the House Speaker’s Gallery to observe the SAVE Act debate and vote.
Patrice Johnson, founder and chair of MFEI, was part of the swing state leaders delegation. (green arrow)
EIN swing state leaders gather on a U.S. Capitol balcony overlooking Washington, D.C. after the SAVE Act passes the House on April 10.
Patrice Johnson is pictured under the red arrow.
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