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Reed lobbies for voter ID requirement

Rep. Tom Reed is frustrated over Democrats continual blocking of the requirement to have federal identification when voting in elections.

On Wednesday, Reed spoke on the House floor advocating for voter ID. Afterward, he talked to New York media regarding his opinion on the matter.

Reed called HR1 a very “partisan left-leaning bill” dealing with political campaigns and elections. “I stand in opposition to that bill, in particular due to an issue I’ve been trying to get bi-partisan agreement on an amendment. That would be to amend the bill to ensure that voter IDs were allowed and were required to be part of our election system in America,” he said.

Reed said the amendment would allow for all kinds of federal identifications to be used, including drivers licenses and benefit IDs to fill the requirement to vote and that the federal government would pay for them if an individual is unable to do so.

Reed said the Democrats “won’t allow debate” of the amendment, which he believes will make elections more secure and address election integrity. “It’s all driven by politics of the left,” he said.

Reed said he believes the majority of Americans want voter identification requirements. “If you have to show ID to buy a six pack of beer, if you have to show ID to rent a hotel room, if you have to show ID to get access to food stamps at the checkout counter at grocery stores, why shouldn’t you have to show an ID simply when you show up at the voter booth and cast a vote,” he asked rhetorically.

Reed said he’s not giving up on the issue. “I will continue to fight as we go forward to make sure that voter ID, as we put an election bill potentially together that could get signed into law and get Republican and bi-partisan support, will have a voter ID component to it,” he said.

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