This week, I voted against a Republican attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters. The so-called SAVE Act would raise new restrictions on voter registration, threatening voter registration by mail, registration drives, and electronic registration. To make matters worse, this bill would create so much red tape to register to vote that anyone who has legally changed their name may have difficulty registering. It has been estimated that, under this proposed law, 69 million women who changed their last name when they got married would not have the documentation to register to vote using their birth certificate.

Conservatives argue that the bill would safeguard elections, but it's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections or to submit fraudulent information to register to vote. Make no mistake, the Trump Administration's repeated claims of widespread voter fraud are an attempt to undermine democracy. Trump and his cronies' claims have been proven false time and again. I was proud to vote against this bill and stand up for voting rights.

The Great Lakes are home to 139 native fish species. Without appropriate funding, we won’t be able to protect them from climate change and other threats, including the sea lamprey—a parasite that can kill 40 pounds of fish in the Great Lakes in a year. This week, I spoke at a Natural Resources Committee Hearing in support of the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act. This bill would fund scientific research to stop invasive threats like sea lampreys from wreaking havoc on our native species.

Learn about the real dangers of invasive species like sea lampreys and watch my full comments HERE.