[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3449-S3450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6321. Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Gallego, Mr.
Kelly, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Warnock, Mr.
Hickenlooper, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for
fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense,
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal
year, and for other purposes;
[[Page S3450]]
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. PROTECT OUR POLLS ACT.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Protect Our Polls Act''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) sending troops or armed men to the polls has been
federally criminalized for more than 150 years through under
the provisions codified in sections 592 and 593 of title 18,
United States Code, punishable by up to 5 years in prison;
(2) such section 592 contains a limited exception to this
prohibition under which troops or armed men may only be used
to repel armed enemies of the United States; and
(3) such exception has never been exercised.
(c) Notification and Congressional Disapproval Process for
Troops or Armed Men at Polls.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 29 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 592 the
following:
``Sec. 592a. Congressional action
``(a) Notification Requirement.--Not less than 48 hours
before troops or armed men, including Federal law enforcement
officers, are intended to be sent to any place where a
general or special election is held to repel armed enemies of
the United States under section 592, or any other provision
of law, the head of the agency in charge of the troops or
armed men shall transmit to the Majority Leader of the
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
committees of jurisdiction (as defined in section 6329b(a) of
title 5) over the agencies to which the troops or armed men
report, an unclassified report containing--
``(1) the number of troops or armed men that are expected
to be sent to places where those elections are being held,
their unit or units, a description of their responsibilities,
and the duration of the order;
``(2) the specific intelligence that supports the claim
that armed enemies of the United States are threatening the
places where those elections are being held, with an
unclassified summary and a classified annex;
``(3) the geographical area to which the troops or armed
men will be sent, with specificity on the location of the
places at which they will be stationed;
``(4) the legal authorization, if any, used to provide
affirmative authority for the activation of armed forces;
``(5) the training these troops or armed men are given to
interact with civilian populations; and
``(6) the detailed justification that State and local
forces are unable to repel the armed enemies of the United
States without Federal intervention.
``(b) Congressional Calendar.--
``(1) In general.--If, when the report under subsection (a)
is transmitted, the Congress has adjourned sine die or has
adjourned for any period, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate,
if they deem it advisable (or if petitioned by not less than
30 percent of the membership of their respective Houses)
shall jointly request the President to convene Congress in
order that it may consider the report and take appropriate
action pursuant to this section.
``(2) Briefing.--When Congress reconvenes, the Secretary of
Defense, Director of National Intelligence, and Director of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall immediately provide
a classified briefing to the Senate and the House of
Representatives on the armed enemies of the United States
threat that necessitates the use of troops at places where
elections are being held.
``(c) Expedited Congressional Review.--
``(1) In general.--Any use of troops or armed men at any
place where a general or special election is held for the
purpose of repelling armed enemies of the United States shall
only be authorized if Congress, prior to any deployment,
enacts a joint resolution originating in either House.
``(2) Consideration.--
``(A) Committee referral.--A joint resolution under
paragraph (1) shall be referred to the committee of
jurisdiction (as defined in section 6329b(a) of title 5) over
the agencies to which the troops or armed men report, and
such committee shall report one such joint resolution not
later than 20 hours after transmission of the report under
section (a), unless such House shall otherwise determine by
yeas and nays.
``(B) Pending business.--A joint resolution reported under
subparagraph (A) shall become the pending business of the
House in question (in the case of the Senate the time for
debate shall be equally divided between the proponents and
the opponents), and shall be voted on not later than 10 hours
thereafter, unless such House shall otherwise determine by
yeas and nays.
``(C) Referral to other house committee.--A joint
resolution passed by one House under subparagraph (B) shall
be referred to the committee of the other House (as
determined under subsection (a)) and shall be reported out
not later 12 hours before troops or armed men are to be sent
to polling places to repel armed enemies of the United States
under section 592. The joint resolution so reported shall
become the pending business of the House in question and
shall be voted on not later than 6 hours after it has been
reported, unless such House shall otherwise determine by yeas
and nays.
``(d) Severability.--If any provision of this section, or
any application of such provision to any person or
circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder
of this section and the application of this section to any
other person or circumstance shall not be affected.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
29 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 592 the following:
``592a. Congressional action.''.
(d) Amendments to Civil Rights Act of 1960.--
(1) In general.--Section 301 of the Civil Rights Act of
1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701) is amended--
(A) by striking ``Every officer'' and inserting the
following:
``(a) In General.--Every officer'';
(B) in subsection (a), as so designated, in the second
sentence, by striking ``this section'' and inserting ``this
subsection''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Condition on Availability of Funds.--No funds may be
appropriated or otherwise made available to the armed forces,
as defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States
Code, or any Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of
title 5, United States Code, for the purpose of authorizing
or ordering any troops or armed men under the authority or
control of such entity to access any record or paper required
under subsection (a) to be retained and preserved, regardless
of the date on which the record or paper came into the
possession of the officer of election or custodian required
to retain and preserve the record or paper.
``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to prevent any member of the armed forces, as
defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code,
or any individual under the authority or control of any
Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5,
United States Code, from exercising the right of suffrage in
any district to which that individual may belong, if
otherwise qualified according to the laws of the State of
such district.''.
(2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Title III of the
Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701 et seq.) is
amended--
(A) in section 302 (52 U.S.C. 20702), by striking ``section
301'' and insert ``section 301(a)''; and
(B) in section 303 (52 U.S.C. 20703), by striking ``section
301'' and insert ``section 301(a)''.
(3) Sunset.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall cease to have effect on January 20, 2029.
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