Thune: Voter ID Is a Commonsense Standard Americans Expect
“You need a photo ID to see a doctor, stay at a hotel, start a job. It’s not too much to ask to require it when you go in to vote.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, Americans are pretty used to presenting their photo IDs.
“These days, you need one for just about everything you do.
“Driving a car?
“You better have your license on you.
“Starting a new job?
“You’ll need to show a photo ID.
“Want to be an emergency snow shoveler in New York City?
“You need to bring two forms of ID for that.
“Mr. President, you need a photo ID to open a bank account or visit your doctor.
“You get asked for a photo ID before you get on a plane or check in to a hotel.
“You need to have your ID ready to buy an alcoholic drink or to go into an R-rated movie.
“So it’s safe to say Americans are taking their IDs out on a regular basis and having a pretty easy go of it.
“Yet when it comes to voting, Democrats talk like requiring a photo ID is some kind of an insurmountable burden.
“And that doesn’t really make sense.
“As I said, most Americans are taking out their IDs out on a regular basis – and for things that are a lot less important than voting.
“In the city of Washington, D.C., for example, you need to show a photo ID any time you go to use a city rec center.
“Yes.
“If you’re in a basketball league or trying to swim a few laps in the pool, you need to show an ID here in Washington, D.C.
“But you can vote in this city – perhaps in that very rec center – without showing a photo ID.
“Mr. President, how does that make any sense?
“There’s a very clear difference between using a city facility and casting a vote to determine how your city or federal government is run.
“And logically speaking, doesn’t it make sense that our elections should at least be as secure as the local rec center?
“I think so.
“And the American people seem to think so too.
“Poll after poll shows that the American people support voter ID.
“Yet despite years of Democrat fearmongering about the implications of requiring a photo ID to vote, the American people view voter ID as just common sense.
“North of 80 percent of Americans in a poll last year said they support requiring all voters to show a photo ID at the polls.
“An NBC News headline this week reads, and I quote, ‘Most Americans support requiring photo ID to vote. Democrats in Congress reject it.’
“Well, that’s pretty much it, Mr. President.
“Requiring a photo ID to vote is something that’s so commonsense, only congressional Democrats could oppose it.
“And I would really like to know their reasoning.
“Of course, Democrats are now hedging, suggesting that they do – kind of – support voter ID.
“Well, if they do, it would certainly be news to me.
“As I said, for years Democrats have acted like asking for a photo ID would be an intolerable burden to place on voters.
“When he was a senator, Barack Obama opposed a national voter ID amendment, saying that it was an attempt, and I quote, ‘to restrict the approach for people voting throughout the country.’
“As vice president and later as president, Joe Biden decried state laws that required voter ID.
“And a few years ago – and this one really baffles me – then-Vice President Kamala Harris said, and I quote, ‘I don’t think we should underestimate what [voter ID laws] could mean. Because in some people’s mind, that means you’re going to have to Xerox or photocopy your ID to send it in to prove who you are. Well there are a whole lot of people, especially people who live in rural communities who don’t – there’s no Kinkos, there’s no OfficeMax near them.’
“That was from then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Well, Mr. President, I spend a good amount of time in rural South Dakota, and I’m happy to share that people in rural areas do in fact have photo IDs – and regularly use them.
“And they’d be more than happy to show them at the polls – in fact, under South Dakota law, voters already – already – have to show a photo ID to cast a ballot.
“And the former vice president will be happy to know that copy machines have also made it to rural America.
“Mr. President, despite Democrats’ fearmongering, requiring a photo ID is not some sort of an impossible thing to ask of voters.
“And I think Democrats actually know this.
“A photo ID was required to get into the Democrat National Convention in 2024.
“Vice President Harris required an ID to get into her campaign events.
“The senior Democrat senator from Georgia required photo ID to get into his recent rally.
“Mr. President, the other day the junior senator from Oregon said that the SAVE America Act is ‘about stopping groups from voting who tend to vote for Democrats.’
“Well, if that were true, why would Democrats be requiring a photo ID for their voters to get into their campaign events?
“Needless to say, it’s not true, Mr. President.
“Requiring a photo ID to vote is just common sense.
“And it’s not that hard.
“You need a photo ID to see a doctor, stay at a hotel, start a job.
“It’s not too much to ask to require it when you go in to vote.”
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