HARRISBURG, Pa.—In the following statement, PA GOP Chairman Val DiGiorgio questions the Democratic Party’s opposition to reinstating a question on the census that asks whether or not the respondent is a citizen. On the national, state and local level American citizenship has become meaningless to Democrats:

“Democrat opposition to counting non-US citizens is yet another troubling example of how Democrats are devaluing America citizenship. The census is a vehicle by which the federal government apportions federal benefits and funding and electoral power. By failing to account for non-citizens, Democrats again show their opposition to the idea that American citizenship is a special privilege.

“This is a direct slap in the face to immigrants who worked hard and adhered to all the proper procedures and laws to come here and enrich our country with their talents. By saying to illegal immigrants that you can have political power in congress and federal benefits, Democrats devalue American citizens and undermine rule of law.

“We have seen this type of attitude from state and local Democrats. In a press conference on Monday, Governor Wolf actually admitted he has no idea how many non-citizens were registered or voted as a result of a PennDot debacle at drivers license centers. In the poorest large city in America, the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney has prioritized illegal immigrants over US citizens by failing to report to ICE when non-citizens are accused of committing a crime. We need leaders who put American citizens first.”

###