WASHINGTON, D.C.,(May 8, 2024) – Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) voted for H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act, which would require the U.S. Census to include a question about the person’s citizenship.
“We have a history of saying that elections are sacred and that free, fair, and secure elections are the cornerstone of our Republic,” said Rep. Burchett while debating the bill on the House floor. “It’s time to act like it and prioritize the representation of our people.”
Congressional districts and electoral votes are allocated to each state using population data from the U.S. Census. Including a question about citizenship would help ensure more congressional seats and electoral college votes are not disproportionately distributed to states with higher populations of non-U.S. citizens, who are ineligible to vote in federal elections.
The vote passed 206-202.
Rep. Burchett’s debate remarks on the House floor in favor of H.R. 7109 can be found here.
The full text of H.R. 7109 can be found here.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-votes-bill-protect-voter-representation