Political Quotes

On the recordJuly 11, 2024
in reserving the right to object, I ask you this: How many times do we have to go through this? Less than 2 months ago, I came down to the floor of the Senate to object to this very same bill--expressing concerns, answering questions--and here we are again, and nothing has changed. So it doesn't matter how many times this bill comes to the floor. It doesn't matter how many times our Republican colleagues feign outrage over noncitizens unlawfully voting--without a shred of evidence--it doesn't change the fact that, as good as the proponents may make this bill sound or try to make this bill sound, it is nothing other than a solution in search of a problem. Now, I speak both as a Senator representing California but also as a former chief elections officer of California, where I--as the secretaries of State across the country, by the way--worked alongside tireless election clerks and administrators across the political spectrum at the State and local levels. Given that experience, I can tell you this: There is no credible evidence of a meaningful number of noncitizens voting in our elections. In 2016, audits showed that noncitizens accounted for 0.0001 percent of the vote. Even the conservative Cato Institute has said: Noncitizens don't illegally vote in detectable numbers.…
Said by
Alex Padilla
Democratic · California

Share

More from Alex Padilla

Jul 7, 2026

The increased visitation we have seen without the reservation system, mixed with the reduction in staff and resources over the past year, leaves us deeply concerned about how the Park will be able to manage visitation safely and…

padilla.senate.gov
Jul 16, 2026

Nitrous oxide misuse has had serious impacts on young adults and communities across California, and we must protect young adults who are most susceptible to the terrible effects of these dangerous, unregulated products.

wyden.senate.gov
Jul 17, 2026

Donald Trump is desperate to pass the anti-voter SAVE Act and sow doubt in our elections because Republicans will have to face voters in November — and voters are ready to hold them accountable for Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran, higher…

padilla.senate.gov
Jul 14, 2026

Purging commissioners just months before the midterm elections and further gutting support for our state and local elections officials is a blatant part of his plan to politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous…

padilla.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation