Video shows Chuck Schumer speaking in support of ID requirements on House floor in 1996

Then U.S. Rep. Chuck Schumer of New York speaking on the House floor in 1996 to support the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act.

What a difference 30 years makes. Three decades before Chuck Schumer was the Senate minority leader and railed against voter ID requirements contained in the SAVE Act, Schumer was a member of the House of Representatives and spoke out in favor of mandatory ID requirements to prevent illegal immigrants from committing fraud. 

On March 19, 1996, Schumer made a brief speech in support of the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act of 1996. Clips of the video have been surfacing on social media over the last year or so, and the full brief statement by Schumer can be viewed on C-SPAN. 

"Let's admit the truth. Everywhere people go, they're asked for a social security card. In fact, one way to prove you're a bonafide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver's license and a social security card," Schumer said at the time. "This is an anti-fraud amendment."

He ultimately voted in favor of the bill, which also mandated increasing personnel for border control, increasing penalties for illegal immigrants who commit fraud in the U.S., and restricting illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits, like welfare. 

Thirty years later, Schumer has seemingly done a 180 on his position calling for tougher immigration enforcement, as he repeatedly claims the SAVE Act, which requires voters to show photo ID at the voting polls to prove U.S. citizenship, amounts to "Jim Crowe 2.0." Schumer continues to promote the extremist claim even though polling reliably shows, the overwhelming majority of Americans support voter ID laws. The House approved the SAVE Act in a vote last week.

A new survey released on Friday by Rasmussen Reports shows a majority of Americans believe non-citizens are listed on voter registration laws. In addition, the new survey showed the strength of broad opposition to non-citizens voting in American elections. According to Rasmussen, 85% of Democrats, 83% of independents and 90% of Republicans are opposed to non-Americans voting in U.S. elections. Also on Friday, President Trump floated the idea of using an executive order to implement the SAVE Act should the measure stall in the Senate before the midterm elections later this year. 

Below, watch a clip from Schumer's 1996 remarks on the House floor.