The U.S. House of Representatives passed the voter ID bill, requiring voters in the midterm elections to present a citizen ID

On February 11, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives officially passed the "Protecting American Voters Act" (also known as the "Rescue Act") with a vote of 218 in favor and 213 against. The entire vote was supported by only one Democratic member crossing party lines. The bill clearly requires that, in the voter registration process for the midterm elections in November, voters must present proof of U.S. citizenship. It also imposes criminal penalties on election officials who fail to verify documents as required or who improperly process voter registrations.

The Republicans further proposed that, in all subsequent federal elections, whether voting in person or by mail, a photo ID must be attached. They cited survey data from the Pew Research Center to back their position. The survey showed that 83% of voters nationwide support presenting a photo ID when voting, and this support rate reached 71% even among Democratic voters. House Speaker Johnson stated that this bill is "common-sense legislation" to ensure that U.S. elections are led by U.S. citizens.

Democratic leaders strongly criticized the bill, arguing that it sets up unnecessary obstacles for voters, effectively suppressing voting rights, and accused the move of trying to concentrate electoral power in the hands of President Trump, deliberately undermining the Democratic Party's prospects in the midterm elections. Currently, independent analysis institutions generally predict that the Democrats are likely to take control of the House, needing to win just three Republican-controlled districts in the November election to achieve their goal. The political landscape in the United States has long been characterized by the president's party losing seats in midterm elections, and the competition between the two parties over election rules has become increasingly intense.

The bill will now be submitted to the Senate for a vote. However, according to the procedural rules of the U.S. Senate, the bill needs 60 votes to pass, and it is widely expected that it will have difficulty reaching this threshold, making it highly unlikely to be formally implemented and enacted.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856902411894916/

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