The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), passed the lower chamber 266 to 158, with 51 Democrats joining all Republicans to advance the measure. The legislation, if signed into law, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so that “aliens” convicted of or who have committed sex offenses or domestic violence are “inadmissible and deportable.”

Mace, who has frequently spoken out against her party for its treatment of women, said in an op-ed to the South Carolina-based Post and Courier last week that she had “enough of weak-kneed politicians pointing at dubious data and making excuses for illegal immigrants who come into our country and rape and murder women and children.”

“H.R.7909 is about common sense — a trait sorely lacking in Washington these days,” Mace wrote. “This bill ensures predators who pose a threat and have been previously convicted of sexual assault, domestic violence and other heinous crimes are turned away or immediately deported.”

“The legislation makes sure those who pose a threat are kicked out before they can cause more harm,” the congresswoman continued. “It’s time to stop coddling criminals and start standing up for the innocent victims who deserve justice and families who deserve peace of mind.”

House Republican leadership spoke to the bill’s importance ahead of the vote during the GOP conference’s weekly press conference on Wednesday. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) blasted “woke prosecutors” for arresting illegal immigrants for murder but not for other crimes against women.

“Everybody on the House floor should vote for that bill,” Scalise said. “But if any Democrat there vote against it, they’re going to have to explain to people back home who are watching this be carried out in every community in America, why they would rather stand with illegals than women in their own districts that they represent.”

During debate on the bill, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) blasted Democrats for talking about the “war on women” when it comes to abortion, “but it seems they couldn’t care less about allowing into our country a flood of sexual offenders, domestic violence offenders, and child abusers.”

“The Democrats say this duplicative of existing law,” McClintock said. “Well if that’s true, why do they oppose it? The Democrats say it’s unnecessary, but tell that to the growing number of families who are paying the butcher’s bill for these open border policies.”

House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called the legislation a Republican attempt to “scapegoat and fearmonger about immigrants.”

“Sexual offenses and domestic violence are serious crimes, and if this bill fixed some gap in current law, I would have no problem supporting this legislation,” Nadler said during debate. “But that is not the case here. In reality, the redundancies in this bill all but assure that no additional dangerous individuals would face immigration consequences if it were to become law.”

Nadler argued that domestic violence and sexual offenses are already deplorable offenses, and the “overly broad” definitions and lack of waiver authority in the bill would result in “extremely harsh and unintended consequences, including the removal of survivors of domestic violence.”

Mace called the discussion about her bill “shameful” during the debate on the legislation.

“I myself am a survivor of rape,” Mace said. “I understand the lifelong trauma as someone who has survived rape, as someone who has been in a domestic violence situation where I was also the victim. I don’t wanna hear it. If you’re here illegally at all, you should be gone.” 

Mace’s bill is part of Republicans’ larger “woke” and border slate of legislation up for votes this week. As the House GOP seeks to expand their razor-thin majority in 2024, Republicans have offered several bills targeting the border crisis and working to tie vulnerable Democrats to the policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

Also up for a vote on Wednesday was a continuing resolution to extend funding until March of next year, combined with Republicans’ SAVE Act that would bar noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The CR is expected to fail on the floor given that most Democrats and a handful of Republicans are against it. 

Given Johnson’s four-seat majority, leadership will have to go back to the drawing board for a spending deal — proving to be difficult as former President Donald Trump continues to urge his party to shut down the government unless the SAVE Act is incorporated.

Cami Mondeaux contributed to this report.