In a fervent display of support for an "election integrity" bill, conservative leaders gathered in front of the Capitol on Wednesday, urging Congress to take action against noncitizens voting in elections. Led by Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the group emphasized the need to pass legislation to prevent alleged instances of noncitizen voting, despite multiple studies showing it to be extremely rare in federal elections.

During the gathering, Speaker Johnson acknowledged that noncitizens voting in federal elections is already illegal under federal law. However, he contended that the issue is "intuitively" known to the public, although he could not provide concrete estimates of the number of noncitizens involved in voting. The proposed bill aims to address this concern by establishing mechanisms to prove the presence of noncitizen voting, making it unlawful within individual states.

Mike Johnson, a constitutional lawyer and close ally of former President Donald Trump, played a pivotal role in Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Alongside Johnson, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, whose text messages were scrutinized during the Jan. 6 committee's investigation into the attack on the Capitol, were also present.

Other notable figures in attendance included Stephen Miller, the former White House senior adviser to Trump, Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, and Cleta Mitchell, a conservative activist recognized for her participation in the controversial call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

While the news conference touched upon various topics related to the 2020 election, Speaker Johnson emphasized that they were primarily focused on the upcoming 2024 election. He acknowledged the irregularities and confusion caused by the pandemic but maintained that it was not possible to go back and challenge the results of the previous election.

During the gathering, Stephen Miller criticized the "wide-open border" and accused Democrats of importing voters to assist President Joe Biden in winning re-election. Despite the lack of evidence supporting these claims, Miller echoed unsubstantiated conspiracy theories as he stood on the same House steps that were overrun by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.

Speaker Johnson initially revealed the framework of the proposed legislation last month, standing alongside former President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, seeks to tighten voter registration requirements by demanding proof of citizenship, including U.S. passports, birth certificates, or photo IDs showing proof of birth in the United States. Critics, including voting rights advocates, argue that these requirements may disenfranchise millions of eligible voters who lack access to such documents.

Despite skepticism about the bill's chances in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the likelihood of President Biden signing it into law, Speaker Johnson defended the importance and substance of the legislation. He maintained that it was not merely a messaging bill but rather one of the most significant and fundamental pieces of legislation in their congressional careers. Johnson expressed his intent to pass the bill in the House and leave it in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to determine its fate.

As the debate over election integrity and noncitizen voting continues, the passage of the proposed legislation remains uncertain.