House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., is facing renewed scrutiny from Republican colleagues in his home state after the Department of Justice announced charges against several U.S. permanent residents accused of registering to vote despite not being citizens.
Aguilar, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, had criticized California’s Proposition 39 at a press conference earlier this month alongside Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Biden administration Cabinet Secretary Xavier Becerra. The ballot measure, which Californians will vote on this Election Day, would require voters to show government-issued photo ID at the polls.
“We will not stand for this, because we will not stand for people to lose an opportunity to exercise their ability to vote,” Aguilar said at the event. “In Arizona, they tried this. They wanted folks to put their driver’s license numbers on their ballots. Think about that. What if you miss one digit? Your vote doesn’t count?”
He went on to raise a scenario involving married voters who have not changed their names on identification documents. “No longer will you be able to vote. That is what is at stake for Californians,” he said, calling the measure a “voter suppression effort” pushed by Republicans.
“Republicans can win only when they suppress the vote. Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans know that they are bankrupt of ideas and solutions, and so they have to change the rules of the game,” Aguilar said.
Weeks after those remarks, the DOJ announced its crackdown, which Fox News reported swept across 17 states and resulted in charges against U.S. permanent residents accused of registering to vote without being citizens.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., said the timing undercut Aguilar’s argument. “Give me a break,” Calvert told Fox News Digital. “You have to show an ID to board an airplane, cash a paycheck, rent an apartment, or even buy cold medicine at the grocery store. Democrats claiming that requiring photo ID before casting a ballot is somehow ‘racist’ or ‘voter suppression’ is complete nonsense and an insult to every voter’s intelligence.”
Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., made a similar case. “Voter ID is basic election security that the vast majority of Americans support, and 36 states already require,” Fong told Fox News Digital. “While opponents are resorting to lies and fearmongering, Proposition 39 is commonsense reform in a world where you need an ID to rent a car, stay at a hotel, open a bank account, or board a flight. The DOJ’s recent voter fraud bust in California is exactly why these safeguards matter.”
Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., echoed the point, calling photo ID a “simple standard we already require to board a plane, purchase alcohol, or pick up a prescription.” She added, “This isn’t controversial and it shouldn’t be complicated. Our elections deserve at least as much consideration as a beer or a bottle of wine.”
The state government, under Gov. Gavin Newsom, pushed back on the DOJ’s operation, noting reports that more of those charged were registered as Republicans than Democrats. A release on Newsom’s state website said: “For nearly a decade, Trump has baselessly alleged mass voter fraud rings were employed by Democrats and utilized ‘illegal immigrants’ to sway elections across the country — often pointing to California. Courts at all levels have rejected the claims of vast voter fraud or that elections were rigged against the President.”
Voter ID requirements are already law in 36 states, and polling has shown majority public support for such measures. Congressional efforts to pass a national voter ID requirement have repeatedly stalled amid Democratic opposition.
Fox News Digital reached out to Aguilar’s campaign for a response to his GOP colleagues’ comments.
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