Ted Cruz falsely claimed Democrats want to give 'illegal aliens' and 'child molesters' the right to vote during a leaked invite-only call with GOP state lawmakers

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asks a question during the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

• Sen. Ted Cruz falsely said Democrats want to let "illegal aliens" and "child molesters" vote.
• He was speaking on a call with GOP state lawmakers about the ongoing battle over voting rights.
• GOP lawmakers in key states have introduced laws to restrict voting, as Democrats seek to expand it.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

On an invitation-only call with GOP state lawmakers last week, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz falsely claimed Democrats are working to give "illegal aliens" and "child molesters" the right to vote, according to a recording of the call obtained by the Associated Press.

The call, which occurred amid an ongoing battle over voting rights, was organized by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that recommends legislation to lawmakers.

Cruz criticized H.R. 1, a campaign finance reform and voting rights package that House Democrats passed earlier this month. The bill would require more transparency in campaign finance, strengthen regulations for lobbyists, and seek to expand voting access through a number of measures.

Republicans have denounced the bill, calling it a major federal overreach into the way state and local governments conduct their elections.

"H.R. 1′s only objective is to ensure that Democrats can never again lose another election, that they will win and maintain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate and of the state legislatures for the next century," Cruz said on the call, according to AP.

The legislation is unlikely to pass in the Senate, though the debate over voting rights is playing out in state legislatures across the country.

As of February, 250 measures that would restrict voting were introduced across 43 states, according to an analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice. Insider's Grace Panetta reported Republicans in key states are working to advance legislation that would restrict voting.

Many of these efforts claim to be aimed at improving election integrity, citing the unsubstantiated claims that widespread voter and election fraud occurred in the 2020 election.

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