Central South Dakota News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) have proposed a new legislation called the Equal Representation Act, aimed at ensuring that only legal citizens are taken into account when determining congressional districts and the Electoral College map for presidential elections. The current practice of counting illegal immigrants for representation purposes is seen as a way to manipulate political power and incentivize open border policies.

Rounds expressed concern about the influx of illegal migrants in major cities and how liberal politicians are embracing them to gain more seats in Congress. He stated, "We should not be rewarding this behavior by allowing the practice of counting illegal immigrants for apportionment purposes."

Hagerty described it as "unconscionable" that non-citizens are included in congressional district apportionment and the electoral map, diluting the power of American citizens' votes. He stressed the need for a citizenship question on the census to accurately distinguish between citizens and non-citizens for redistricting purposes.

The Equal Representation Act has three main provisions. First, it would require the Census Bureau to include a citizenship question on future censuses to better understand the population and differentiate between citizens and non-citizens. This data would be crucial for apportionment purposes. Second, it would prohibit non-citizens from being counted for congressional district and Electoral College apportionment. Lastly, the legislation would mandate that the Census Bureau publicly report certain demographic data.

The introduction of this legislation is supported by a group of Republican senators, including John Thune, Marsha Blackburn, and Mike Braun, among others.

This proposal comes amid an ongoing debate over immigration policies and the role of illegal immigrants in determining political representation. Critics argue that counting non-citizens distorts the democratic process and gives an unfair advantage to states with higher populations of illegal immigrants.

The Equal Representation Act seeks to address these concerns and ensure that the electoral system accurately reflects the voice of legal citizens. However, the legislation will likely face opposition from Democrats who may view it as an attempt to suppress minority representation.

As the debate over immigration and representation continues, Rounds and Hagerty's legislation is poised to spark further discussion on the role of illegal immigrants in determining electoral outcomes and the importance of upholding the principles of fair representation in a democratic society.