In a recent vote, only one Democrat in the House endorsed a bill mandating voter ID to confirm citizenship during elections. The U.S. House managed to pass the Election Integrity Act, despite unanimous opposition from Democrats, highlighting the critical importance of maintaining a Republican majority in today’s polarized political landscape.
The SAVE America Act, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), aims to keep non-citizens from participating in U.S. federal elections. It passed the House on Wednesday with a vote of 218 to 213 and could take effect as soon as November, according to sources.
The sole Democratic support for this election integrity measure came from Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).
This bill updates the original Protecting American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), which was approved by the House last April but never reached the Senate floor.
Alongside the requirement for photo ID to vote in federal elections, the new legislation stipulates federal proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, along with mandates for states to keep their voter rolls updated by removing ineligible individuals.
The bill also compels state election officials to provide voter information to federal agencies to verify citizenship in existing voter lists. Furthermore, it allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pursue cases against non-citizens found to be registered to vote.
“If we wish to restore trust in American elections, passing the SAVE Act is essential,” stated Rep. Mike Khalidopoulos (R-Fla.). “What better measure to alleviate that mistrust than ensuring only eligible American citizens are voting?”
Conversely, Democrats, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), criticized the bill, oddly claiming that Republicans are attempting to hinder women from voting.
“Republicans aren’t concerned about non-citizens voting; they worry about actual American citizens casting their ballots. Why? Because they’re losing support among women,” Clark contended. “This creates a complicated web of red tape that obstructs women and Americans from exercising their voting rights.”
Democratic lawmakers argued that the Election Integrity Act could complicate voting for married women whose last names differ from those on their birth certificates.
However, House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hahn (R-Okla.) clarified that the initiative seeks to stop illegal immigrants from voting, characterizing the Democrats’ opposition as “feeding the narrative” that the left “desires illegal immigrants to support them.”
House Republicans generally maintained that the bill is essential in light of the surge of millions of illegal immigrants into the U.S. during former President Joe Biden’s tenure.
“The American people haven’t empowered the Republican Party to make excuses,” remarked Republican Research Committee Chairman August Pflueger (R-Texas), referencing Donald Trump’s significant win in the 2024 election.
“They granted us victory, and the SAVE America Act embodies that,” Pflueger added. “Every Democrat who voted against this measure showed they would prefer to let illegal aliens influence national elections rather than safeguard their own constituents’ votes.”
The bill still requires Senate approval to become effective before this November’s midterm elections, but it needs several Democratic senators to overcome the filibuster.
