[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1569-H1579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAFEGUARD AMERICAN VOTER ELIGIBILITY ACT
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 294, I call up
the bill (H.R. 22) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual
to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes, and
ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 294, the bill
is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 22
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguard American Voter
Eligibility Act'' or the ``SAVE Act''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING ONLY CITIZENS ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN
ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.
(a) Definition of Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship.--Section 3 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20502) is amended--
(1) by striking ``As used'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--As used''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Documentary Proof of United States Citizenship.--As
used in this Act, the term `documentary proof of United
States citizenship' means, with respect to an applicant for
voter registration, any of the following:
``(1) A form of identification issued consistent with the
requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the
applicant is a citizen of the United States.
``(2) A valid United States passport.
``(3) The applicant's official United States military
identification card, together with a United States military
record of service showing that the applicant's place of birth
was in the United States.
``(4) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government showing that
the applicant's place of birth was in the United States.
``(5) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government other than an
identification described in paragraphs (1) through (4), but
only if presented together with one or more of the following:
``(A) A certified birth certificate issued by a State, a
unit of local government in a State, or a Tribal government
which--
``(i) was issued by the State, unit of local government, or
Tribal government in which the applicant was born;
``(ii) was filed with the office responsible for keeping
vital records in the State;
``(iii) includes the full name, date of birth, and place of
birth of the applicant;
``(iv) lists the full names of one or both of the parents
of the applicant;
``(v) has the signature of an individual who is authorized
to sign birth certificates on behalf of the State, unit of
local government, or Tribal government in which the applicant
was born;
``(vi) includes the date that the certificate was filed
with the office responsible for keeping vital records in the
State; and
``(vii) has the seal of the State, unit of local
government, or Tribal government that issued the birth
certificate.
``(B) An extract from a United States hospital Record of
Birth created at the time of the applicant's birth which
indicates that the applicant's place of birth was in the
United States.
``(C) A final adoption decree showing the applicant's name
and that the applicant's place of birth was in the United
States.
``(D) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a citizen of the
United States or a certification of the applicant's Report of
Birth of a United States citizen issued by the Secretary of
State.
``(E) A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of
Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security or
any other document or method of proof of United States
citizenship issued by the Federal government pursuant to the
Immigration and Nationality Act.
``(F) An American Indian Card issued by the Department of
Homeland Security with the classification `KIC'.''.
(b) In General.--Section 4 of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsection (b)'' and
inserting ``subsection (c)'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection:
``(b) Requiring Applicants to Present Documentary Proof of
United States Citizenship.--Under any method of voter
registration in a State, the State shall not accept and
process an application to register to vote in an election for
Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary
proof of United States citizenship with the application.''.
(c) Registration With Application for Motor Vehicle
Driver's License.--Section 5 of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``Each State motor
vehicle driver's license application'' and inserting
``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j), each State
motor vehicle driver's license application'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``Each State shall
include'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements under
section 8(j), each State shall include'';
(3) in subsection (c)(2)(B)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iii) verify that the applicant is a citizen of the
United States;'';
(4) in subsection (c)(2)(C)(i), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship''; and
(5) in subsection (c)(2)(D)(iii), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting the following: ``, other than as evidence in a
criminal proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against
an applicant who knowingly attempts to register to vote and
knowingly makes a false declaration under penalty of perjury
that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements to
register to vote in an election for Federal office; and''.
(d) Requiring Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship With National Mail Voter Registration Form.--
Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20505) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Each State shall accept and use'' and
inserting ``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j),
each State shall accept and use''; and
(B) by striking ``Federal Election Commission'' and
inserting ``Election Assistance Commission'';
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``The chief State election official of a State shall take
such steps as may be necessary to ensure that residents of
the State are aware of the requirement to provide documentary
proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) the person did not provide documentary proof of
United States citizenship when registering to vote.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
[[Page H1570]]
``(e) Ensuring Proof of United States Citizenship.--
``(1) Presenting proof of united states citizenship to
election official.--An applicant who submits the mail voter
registration application form prescribed by the Election
Assistance Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall not
be registered to vote in an election for Federal office
unless--
``(A) the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship in person to the office of the appropriate
election official not later than the deadline provided by
State law for the receipt of a completed voter registration
application for the election; or
``(B) in the case of a State which permits an individual to
register to vote in an election for Federal office at a
polling place on the day of the election and on any day when
voting, including early voting, is permitted for the
election, the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship to the appropriate election official at
the polling place not later than the date of the election.
``(2) Notification of requirement.--Upon receiving an
otherwise completed mail voter registration application form
prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission pursuant to
section 9(a)(2) or a form described in paragraph (1) or (2)
of subsection (a), the appropriate election official shall
transmit a notice to the applicant of the requirement to
present documentary proof of United States citizenship under
this subsection, and shall include in the notice instructions
to enable the applicant to meet the requirement.
``(3) Accessibility.--Each State shall, in consultation
with the Election Assistance Commission, ensure that
reasonable accommodations are made to allow an individual
with a disability who submits the mail voter registration
application form prescribed by the Election Assistance
Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form described in
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) to present documentary
proof of United States citizenship to the appropriate
election official.''.
(e) Requirements for Voter Registration Agencies.--Section
7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20506) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (4)(A), by adding at the end the following
new clause:
``(iv) Receipt of documentary proof of United States
citizenship of each applicant to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.''; and
(B) in paragraph (6)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i)(I), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship''; and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) ask the applicant the question, `Are you a citizen of
the United States?' and if the applicant answers in the
affirmative require documentary proof of United States
citizenship prior to providing the form under subparagraph
(C);''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``who are citizens
of the United States'' after ``for persons''.
(f) Requirements With Respect to Administration of Voter
Registration.--Section 8 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``In the administration of voter
registration'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements of
subsection (j), in the administration of voter
registration''; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the end; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(D) based on documentary proof or verified information
that the registrant is not a United States citizen; or
``(E) the registration otherwise fails to comply with
applicable State law;'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (l); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new
subsections:
``(j) Ensuring Only Citizens Are Registered To Vote.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, a State may not register an individual to vote in
elections for Federal office held in the State unless, at the
time the individual applies to register to vote, the
individual provides documentary proof of United States
citizenship.
``(2) Additional processes in certain cases.--
``(A) Process for those without documentary proof.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted
by the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant who cannot
provide documentary proof of United States citizenship under
paragraph (1) may, if the applicant signs an attestation
under penalty of perjury that the applicant is a citizen of
the United States and eligible to vote in elections for
Federal office, submit such other evidence to the appropriate
State or local official demonstrating that the applicant is a
citizen of the United States and such official shall make a
determination as to whether the applicant has sufficiently
established United States citizenship for purposes of
registering to vote in elections for Federal office in the
State.
``(ii) Affidavit requirement.--If a State or local official
makes a determination under clause (i) that an applicant has
sufficiently established United States citizenship for
purposes of registering to vote in elections for Federal
office in the State, such determination shall be accompanied
by an affidavit developed under clause (iii) signed by the
official swearing or affirming the applicant sufficiently
established United States citizenship for purposes of
registering to vote.
``(iii) Development of affidavit by the election assistance
commission.--The Election Assistance Commission shall develop
a uniform affidavit for use by State and local officials
under clause (ii), which shall--
``(I) include an explanation of the minimum standards
required for a State or local official to register an
applicant who cannot provide documentary proof of United
States citizenship to vote in elections for Federal office in
the State; and
``(II) require the official to explain the basis for
registering such applicant to vote in such elections.
``(B) Process in case of certain discrepancies in
documentation.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted by
the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant can provide such
additional documentation to the appropriate election official
of the State as may be necessary to establish that the
applicant is a citizen of the United States in the event of a
discrepancy with respect to the applicant's documentary proof
of United States citizenship.
``(3) State requirements.--Each State shall take
affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only
United States citizens are registered to vote under the
provisions of this Act, which shall include the establishment
of a program described in paragraph (4) not later than 30
days after the date of the enactment of this subsection.
``(4) Program described.--A State may meet the requirements
of paragraph (3) by establishing a program under which the
State identifies individuals who are not United States
citizens using information supplied by one or more of the
following sources:
``(A) The Department of Homeland Security through the
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (`SAVE') or
otherwise.
``(B) The Social Security Administration through the Social
Security Number Verification Service, or otherwise.
``(C) State agencies that supply State identification cards
or driver's licenses where the agency confirms the United
States citizenship status of applicants.
``(D) Other sources, including databases, which provide
confirmation of United States citizenship status.
``(5) Availability of information.--
``(A) In general.--At the request of a State election
official (including a request related to a process
established by a State under paragraph (2)(A) or (2)(B)), any
head of a Federal department or agency possessing information
relevant to determining the eligibility of an individual to
vote in elections for Federal office shall, not later than 24
hours after receipt of such request, provide the official
with such information as may be necessary to enable the
official to verify that an applicant for voter registration
in elections for Federal office held in the State or a
registrant on the official list of eligible voters in
elections for Federal office held in the State is a citizen
of the United States, which shall include providing the
official with such batched information as may be requested by
the official.
``(B) Use of save system.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security may respond to a request received under paragraph
(1) by using the system for the verification of immigration
status under the applicable provisions of section 1137 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-7), as established
pursuant to section 121(c) of the Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-603).
``(C) Sharing of information.--The heads of Federal
departments and agencies shall share information with each
other with respect to an individual who is the subject of a
request received under paragraph (A) in order to enable them
to respond to the request.
``(D) Investigation for purposes of removal.--The Secretary
of Homeland Security shall conduct an investigation to
determine whether to initiate removal proceedings under
section 239 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1229) if it is determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B)
that an alien (as such term is defined in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)) is
unlawfully registered to vote in elections for Federal
office.
``(E) Prohibiting fees.--The head of a Federal department
or agency may not charge a fee for responding to a State's
request under paragraph (A).
``(k) Removal of Noncitizens From Registration Rolls.--A
State shall remove an individual who is not a citizen of the
United States from the official list of eligible voters for
elections for Federal office held in the State at any time
upon receipt of documentation or verified information that a
registrant is not a United States citizen.''.
[[Page H1571]]
(g) Clarification of Authority of State To Remove
Noncitizens From Official List of Eligible Voters.--
(1) In general.--Section 8(a)(4) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(4)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(B) by adding ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) documentary proof or verified information that the
registrant is not a United States citizen;''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 8(c)(2)(B)(i) of such
Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(c)(2)(B)(i)) is amended by striking
``(4)(A)'' and inserting ``(4)(A) or (C)''.
(h) Requirements With Respect to Federal Mail Voter
Registration Form.--
(1) Contents of mail voter registration form.--Section 9(b)
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``(including an explanation of
what is required to present documentary proof of United
States citizenship)'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) shall include a section, for use only by a State or
local election official, to record the type of document the
applicant presented as documentary proof of United States
citizenship, including the date of issuance, the date of
expiration (if any), the office which issued the document,
and any unique identification number associated with the
document.''.
(2) Information on mail voter registration form.--Section
9(b)(4) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)(4)) is amended--
(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as
subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively; and
(B) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated and as amended
by paragraph (1)(C)), by striking ``; and'' and inserting the
following: ``, other than as evidence in a criminal
proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against an
applicant who attempts to register to vote and makes a false
declaration under penalty of perjury that the applicant meets
the eligibility requirements to register to vote in an
election for Federal office; and''.
(i) Private Right of Action.--Section 11(b)(1) of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20510(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``a violation of this
Act'' and inserting ``a violation of this Act, including the
act of an election official who registers an applicant to
vote in an election for Federal office who fails to present
documentary proof of United States citizenship,''.
(j) Criminal Penalties.--Section 12(2) of such Act (52
U.S.C. 20511(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (D);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(B) in the case of an officer or employee of the
executive branch, providing material assistance to a
noncitizen in attempting to register to vote or vote in an
election for Federal office;
``(C) registering an applicant to vote in an election for
Federal office who fails to present documentary proof of
United States citizenship; or''.
(k) Applicability of Requirements to Certain States.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 4 of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503), as
redesignated by subsection (b), is amended by striking ``This
Act does not apply to a State'' and inserting ``Except with
respect to the requirements under subsection (i) and (j) of
section 8 in the case of a State described in paragraph (2),
this Act does not apply to a State''.
(2) Permitting states to adopt requirements after
enactment.--Section 4 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20503) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Permitting States To Adopt Certain Requirements After
Enactment.--Subsections (i) and (j) of section 8 shall not
apply to a State described in subsection (c)(2) if the State,
by law or regulation, adopts requirements which are identical
to the requirements under such subsections not later than 60
days prior to the date of the first election for Federal
office which is held in the State after the date of the
enactment of the SAVE Act.''.
SEC. 3. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION GUIDANCE.
Not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Election Assistance Commission shall adopt and
transmit to the chief State election official of each State
guidance with respect to the implementation of the
requirements under the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), as amended by section 2.
SEC. 4. INAPPLICABILITY OF PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT.
Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44 (commonly referred
to as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply with
respect to the development or modification of voter
registration materials under the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), as amended by section
2, including the development or modification of any voter
registration application forms.
SEC. 5. DUTY OF SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO NOTIFY
ELECTION OFFICIALS OF NATURALIZATION.
Upon receiving information that an individual has become a
naturalized citizen of the United States, the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall promptly provide notice of such
information to the appropriate chief election official of the
State in which such individual is domiciled.
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.
Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by this Act
may be construed to supercede, restrict, or otherwise affect
the ability of an individual to cast a provisional ballot in
an election for Federal office or to have the ballot counted
in the election if the individual is verified as a citizen of
the United States pursuant to section 8(j) of the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (as added by section 2(f)).
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING EFFECT ON STATE
EXEMPTIONS FROM OTHER FEDERAL LAWS.
Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by this Act
may be construed to affect the exemption of a State from any
requirement of any Federal law other than the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall
apply with respect to applications for voter registration
which are submitted on or after such date.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member
of the Committee on House Administration or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include additional material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Safeguard American Voter
Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, introduced by my colleague,
Chip Roy of Texas.
As chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I have been
focused on improving election integrity and increasing confidence in
our elections.
Let me be clear: Noncitizen voting reduces confidence in our
elections. American elections are for American citizens, and we intend
to keep it that way.
The SAVE Act will strengthen our elections administration and restore
Americans' confidence in our elections. The SAVE Act contains critical
reforms to update the National Voter Registration Act which currently
requires States to give registration forms to everyone who receives a
driver's license, regardless of citizenship.
The bill before us will help States prevent noncitizens from voting
in Federal elections by requiring States to obtain documentary proof of
U.S. citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote in
Federal elections.
Mr. Speaker, you are sure to hear from my colleagues on the other
side that noncitizen voting doesn't exist or that it rarely happens so
we don't need to do anything about it. It couldn't be further from the
truth.
However, let's look back 2 months ago. The secretaries of state that
I had conversations with shared with me their difficulties that they
are experiencing in administering the most recent election. Two of
their top concerns were about integrity of voter rolls and noncitizen
voting.
In a most recent election, we just saw 13 individuals referred by the
Michigan Secretary of State to the attorney general for noncitizen
voting in the State of Michigan. In the House of Representatives where
we often see close elections, we have one Member here who won her
election by simply six votes.
It is clear we must pass the SAVE Act and prevent noncitizen voting.
There have also been many other examples of noncitizens voting or
being
[[Page H1572]]
on States' voter rolls. Just a few years ago, Illinois removed almost
600 noncitizens from its voter rolls. In Pennsylvania almost 10,000
noncitizens were removed from their voter rolls. In Georgia an audit
recently determined that more than 1,600 noncitizens had attempted to
register to vote.
Every State also needs access to the tools necessary to remove
noncitizens from their voter rolls. Right now States don't have free
access to the Federal data that tracks citizenship status.
Another crucial element of the SAVE Act will provide States with
cost-free access to existing Federal and State databases so they can
perform this important voter list maintenance.
In recent years we have seen an increasing number of jurisdictions
across the country allowing noncitizens to vote in municipal elections.
Right here in our Nation's Capital, noncitizens are eligible to vote in
these municipal elections. In Washington, D.C., a noncitizen only has
to reside in the District for 30 days in order to register to vote.
Mr. Speaker, 388 noncitizens cast ballots here in our Nation's
Capital in Washington, D.C., in the most recent election.
By passing the SAVE Act we can ensure that only eligible Americans
are registering to vote.
Additionally, the SAVE Act is aligned with President Trump's recent
executive order, Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of Elections,
which will help restore trust in American elections, enhance our
election administration, and make our elections secure.
This legislation is just one step that we can take to ensure
President Trump's executive order could not be undone. Americans
deserve to have confidence in our elections. We must pass the SAVE Act
to prevent noncitizen voting and secure our elections.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, together with President Trump's recent voting-
restrictive executive order, the SAVE Act would cripple American
elections. It would end voter registration in the United States as we
know it.
The SAVE Act would end mail-in registration. You heard that right,
Mr. Speaker. All those States and all those people who register by
mail--not vote by mail--registration by mail, it would end that.
American citizens would have to appear in person at an election office
and bring with them various documents and forms to register to vote.
Think about it, Mr. Speaker. Just to exercise your fundamental,
inalienable rights as a citizen of this country, Republicans would
force Americans into a paperwork nightmare, burying voter registration
under a mountain of bureaucracy and red tape.
So what exactly would the SAVE Act do?
It would create enormous burdens for every American citizen who seeks
to register to vote.
Let's dig into the details.
As my Republican colleague and friend admitted at the Rules
Committee, under the SAVE Act, most Americans would be unable to
register to vote using their REAL ID. Further, under the SAVE Act,
almost 70 million American women will be unable to register to vote
using their birth certificate simply because they changed their name
upon marriage. The bill would disenfranchise survivors of domestic
abuse who have changed their names for safety purposes, which is truly
shocking.
The SAVE Act will also have a steep financial cost to American
citizens because, yes, the SAVE Act does allow Americans to use their
passports to register to vote, but one-half of all Americans do not
have a passport, and a passport costs $130 plus additional fees. So the
SAVE Act would cost American voters who do not have passports billions
of dollars to secure them.
Americans are facing rising costs exacerbated by the recent Trump
tariffs. Economists are warning about a looming Trump recession.
Let's face it. The SAVE Act would force U.S. citizens to spend
billions of dollars to register to vote. This includes rural voters,
many of whom now register to vote online or by mail, who will be forced
to drive hours and cross hundreds of miles to present documentary
proof. This includes senior citizens who are particularly likely to
lack documentary proof of citizenship, including passports, copies of
their birth certificates, or other documents.
What about the men and women in uniform who serve our country all
over the world?
Can a member of our military use their military ID?
Surely military IDs should be enough to register to vote, but not
according to the SAVE Act. Servicemembers will need to bring their
military ID and a copy of their service record showing their place of
birth within the United States. However, many servicemembers were born
abroad, say to military parents overseas. Many are naturalized
citizens. Those servicemembers will be blocked from using their
military ID to register to vote.
Mr. Speaker, do you remember the SAVE Act's requirement that
Americans show their documentation in person at an election office?
It will have drastic consequences. The SAVE Act will prevent members
of our Armed Forces from registering to vote while deployed overseas.
Moreover, the SAVE Act is not actually meant to prevent noncitizens
from voting. The SAVE Act is really about silencing Americans. This
bill is about disenfranchising Americans, not noncitizens, but
Americans, Americans like James Wilson.
James Wilson is an Arizona voter whom I met with last week. He was
meant to join us in the gallery. He flew all the way to Washington,
D.C., last week to watch Congress debate the SAVE Act. He was forced to
fly home after the Speaker canceled 3 days of legislative work.
Mr. Wilson is an American citizen, born in Japan to a military father
during the Vietnam war. Mr. Wilson is also a veteran. He proudly served
our Nation overseas, including in Korea and Germany.
Like millions of Americans, Mr. Wilson does not have a passport
because he does not need a passport. Like millions of Americans, Mr.
Wilson does not have access to his birth certificate.
When Arizona introduced a restrictive voter registration law, a law
just like the SAVE Act, Mr. Wilson's right to vote was imperiled. Mr.
Wilson did not have any of the documents required by the Arizona law
and required by the SAVE Act to prove his citizenship. But for a last-
minute emergency court order, Mr. Wilson, an American citizen, a
veteran, and a patriot, would not have been able to vote this past
election.
If the SAVE Act becomes law, Americans nationwide will face the same
bureaucratic nightmare that Mr. Wilson faced in Arizona. The SAVE Act
will force Americans like Mr. Wilson to pay billions of dollars to
exercise their inviolable right to vote.
House Republicans want to increase the burdens and amplify the costs
in time, in money, and in effort for American citizens to vote. House
Democrats do not.
The SAVE Act would cost American citizens something deeply important,
something essential to the soul of this Nation, the right to freely and
fairly participate in our elections.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge defeat of this bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
{time} 0930
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Lee), the chair of the Subcommittee on Elections and the
former Florida secretary of state.
Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act.
The SAVE Act is an important step forward that will ensure elections
are more secure and accurate across the United States.
The vast majority of Americans agree that only U.S. citizens should
have the right to vote in our elections. Just last month, President
Trump took a strong stance reaffirming his commitment to the integrity
of our elections. The President's executive order will help equip
election officials with better data and more resources to administer
elections.
Today, Congress has the opportunity to build on this momentum and
ensure that these protections are part of our laws, that every State
can follow these
[[Page H1573]]
practices, and that voters across the Nation can feel confident in the
integrity and security of their elections.
Congress must commit to supporting election officials and voters by
making voting accessible and secure.
While States are the primary authority on how elections are conducted
on election day, it is our role here in Congress to ensure that we
support them, provide resources to them, and promote uniformity and
best practices across the country.
One way that we will be able to help provide those resources to
States is by passing the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act will help protect our
elections and ensure that only American citizens are casting ballots in
American elections.
The bill will support State and local election officials by providing
them with data and tools to help verify the accuracy and completeness
of their voter rolls.
As Florida's former secretary of state and chief election official, I
got to work with State and local elections workers across the country
and saw their commitment to ensuring strong elections.
Now, as the chair of the House Administration Subcommittee on
Elections, I am proud to work alongside Chairman Steil to advance
policies that lead to stronger elections across our country.
These tools will help the States ensure their rolls are accurate and
help prevent any unintended errors.
We know that some States have continued to discover noncitizens on
their voter rolls, and there is evidence that some of them have voted
in recent elections. We must take steps to ensure this doesn't
continue.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to address the claim that the SAVE
Act will somehow negatively affect married women or others who might
have changed their name because their legal documentation or
identification may reflect two different names. This legislation
clearly contemplates exactly this situation and, indeed, directly
addresses it. Page 14, line 19 directs the States to create a process
for addressing this exact issue.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, ever since the 19th Amendment passed
over 100 years ago, married women have been registering to vote and
successfully voting. Indeed, I am among them.
This bill will accommodate women who change their name and have not
yet updated their documentation to reflect a name change because the
SAVE Act explicitly directs States to establish a process for them to
register to vote, irrespective of those discrepancies.
Like other areas of the law, citizens will be able to use
combinations of existing identification documents in order to register
to vote. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate the work of my colleagues from the
committee. We agree on many things, but this is certainly not one of
them.
I want to reflect on what the gentlewoman from Florida and others
have said several times, that the SAVE Act allows States to create a
process to provide additional proof of citizenship. Why not write it in
the bill? Why are we making the potential for 50 different standards to
be set to prove citizenship? What additional forms would be used, a
birth certificate together with an ID, also including a marriage
certificate, also including a record of a changed name?
What must survivors of domestic abuse provide? Must they provide
court orders protecting them from stalkers, restraining orders, divorce
records, divorce papers? How much would that cost? How much paperwork
do Republicans want Americans to drown in?
Further, how long will these new rules take? The SAVE Act takes
effect immediately. What if States take months or years to amend their
systems? What if they never do it?
You might have someone interested in voting, but their State hasn't
acted. They have no way of proving that the name on their birth
certificate, which differs from the name on their ID, is because they
got married. They would be unable to register to vote.
Here is what we do know. President Trump's executive order doesn't
want any alternative forms of identification, no alternative State
processes, no additional avenues for voters. Why would we expect the
EAC to disregard the President's clear desire to limit documentary
proof of citizenship to a small, exclusive, difficult-to-obtain list of
options?
I would say in addition to my dear friend--and I mean that
sincerely--the gentleman from Wisconsin, I would like to remind him
that an estimated 165,000 women in his district in Wisconsin have a
different name on their birth certificate than is on their current
photo ID. Under the SAVE Act, these women could not register
using their birth certificate alone. Roughly 340,000 residents in
Wisconsin's First District lack a passport, so the SAVE Act could cost
voters in the district $45 million if they chose to comply that way.
I would also like to remind my colleague and friend, Representative
Lee, an estimated 170,000 women in her district have a different name
on their birth certificate than on their photo ID. Likewise, under this
bill, these women could not use their birth certificate to register to
vote because they have a different name now than at birth. Roughly
368,000 residents of Florida's 15th District lack a passport. It would
cost voters in the district at least $47.8 million to secure a passport
to register to vote.
These are the facts. This is what the bill requires. We should not
gloss over it because this is a mountain of bureaucratic red tape. If
you can't get it right in the bill, if you don't list marriage license
in the Federal bill, and it is left to the States, who knows how and
when we resolve these issues.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise
today in strong opposition to the SAVE Act.
This bill will make it more difficult to register to vote, and it
will prevent millions of American citizens, including married women who
change their name and rural Americans, from exercising their right to
vote. It creates an enormous and expensive unfunded mandate on election
offices, and for what?
Federal law already requires people to attest under penalty of
perjury that they are U.S. citizens when they register to vote.
Noncitizens attempting to register to vote is exceedingly rare, and if
they do, they face severe consequences, including fines, up to 5 years
in prison, and deportation.
Mr. Speaker, more than 140 million Americans do not have a passport.
Approximately 70 million women do not have a birth certificate that
matches their current legal name. Millions and millions of rural voters
would have to travel long distances to try to register to vote.
We don't have to guess what would happen if this bill were to pass.
In 2011, Kansas had a proof-of-citizenship requirement.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Oregon an
additional 15 seconds.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, in Kansas, more than 30,000 U.S. citizens,
12 percent of everyone seeking to register to vote, were barred from
voting.
Other States have tried. In all of them, a significant number of
citizens have been wrongly barred from voting. It is unacceptable. It
is voter suppression. It is wrong.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the SAVE
Act.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a member of the Committee on House
Administration, to speak on the bill.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of the SAVE Act, which includes robust measures to prevent illegal
aliens from participating in our elections.
Under Joe Biden, millions of illegal aliens flooded into our country,
and many were given the benefits and privileges that should be reserved
for American citizens.
In Illinois, JB Pritzker and the Democrats rolled out the red carpet
[[Page H1574]]
and actively enticed illegals and those covered by Biden's bogus asylum
programs to settle in my State, to the tune of over 500,000 people.
They received welfare benefits, CDL licenses, and State identification.
The Democrats have even voted to allow them to be law enforcement
officers.
I do not have to tell you how dangerous this situation is for
Americans, especially for Americans' confidence in the sanctity of our
elections.
As far-left jurisdictions seek to allow illegals to vote in local
elections, let me be clear about this one thing at this point: Every
vote cast by an illegal alien is a vote stolen from an American
citizen.
Congress must defend the integrity of our elections. We must
aggressively push back against the left's attempts to change the
electorate and dilute the voices of actual Americans in our democratic
process.
This past week and today, all we hear are the Democrats sharing their
concerns that rural Americans, women, and people of color are not
capable of getting an ID. This is insulting and condescending and an
untrue argument.
You need an ID for most everything else in daily life. Maybe if the
Democrats would quit pushing for our schools--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Illinois.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, maybe the Democrats should quit
wasting so much time in our public schools indoctrinating our children
and, instead, teach them real-life skills such as reading, civics, and
how to get an ID.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make note of the point that REAL ID in the
United States does not have citizenship in almost all States. A handful
have it. You couldn't even use your REAL ID.
If we are talking about voter ID and photo ID, it doesn't even allow
you to vote under the SAVE Act. The gentlewoman should read the bill.
It doesn't allow it, and I think that is part of the problem.
I would also note, Mr. Speaker, in Representative Miller's district,
an estimated 150,000 women have a different name on their birth
certificate than their current photo ID. Under the SAVE Act, these
women could not use their birth certificate to register to vote and
would not be able to use their ID, their driver's license. Roughly
414,000 residents of Illinois' 15th District lack a passport.
The SAVE Act would cost voters in Mrs. Miller's district $53.8
million should they avail themselves of a passport to prove the
requirements of the SAVE Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina
(Ms. Ross).
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the SAVE Act,
which is a transparent attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters.
The SAVE Act would change voter registration guidelines to require
proof of U.S. citizenship in very narrow ways. However, those
documents, as we have heard, a birth certificate or a passport, are not
always easy to come by for certain Americans.
This backward legislation would immediately disenfranchise the 69
million women who have changed their names after marriage or divorce
and do not have a matching birth certificate. There is no cure in this
bill.
Millions of Americans would be forced to navigate the complicated
process to change their birth certificate or be forced to pay more than
$130 for a passport.
Who would be prevented from voting? Working people who don't have the
time to do it and low-income people who cannot afford to do it would be
prevented from voting.
House Democrats will not be silenced while Donald Trump and
Republicans try to disenfranchise millions of people.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock) to speak on the bill.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, in every election, somebody wins and
somebody loses. Democracy depends on the losing side trusting that the
election was a fair and accurate reflection of the will of the
majority, and the winning side depends on the same perception for the
legitimacy of their office.
{time} 0945
For centuries, our elections were the gold standard for the world
because they were very hard to cheat in. Essential components of this
process were 30-day registration, in-person election day voting, and
proof of identity.
In recent years, in many States, the woke left has torn down these
safeguards. Mail-in ballots where there is no chain of custody,
counting ballots weeks after election day, counting ballots in secret,
ballot harvesting, same-day registration, turning election day into
election month, and forbidding proof of identity all make cheating easy
and destroy the public's confidence in the process.
In many jurisdictions, the Democrats have made it clear that they
intend to allow noncitizens to vote, the ultimate in foreign election
interference.
I have news for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle:
American elections are for Americans.
The SAVE Act restores this vital principle by requiring proof of
citizenship and identity in the Federal elections that affect every
American. Americans should pay close attention to this vote, for it
will reveal those who would subvert their vote to foreign nationals.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman that, in the United States of
America, you have to be a U.S. citizen to vote in a Federal election.
If you are not, you are subject to penalties for attempting to register
to vote, and you are subject to felonies and deportation if you do vote
and are not an American citizen. That is the current law.
I also remind my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr.
McClintock), that an estimated 135,000 women in his district have a
different name on their birth certificate than they have on their
current photo ID, and roughly 290,000 residents of California's Fifth
District lack a passport. The cost to those voters would be $37.7
million to get passports.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms.
Williams), my dear friend.
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the
Congresswoman for Georgia's Fifth District, the cradle of the civil
rights movement and the home of Dr. King, Ambassador Andrew Young, and
my predecessor, the late Congressman John Lewis. I carry their legacy
with me every time I walk onto this floor.
Mr. Speaker, the SAVE Act is everything our civil rights leaders
fought against. Don't think that it won't impact you or folks that you
know. If you got married and changed your name, your ID won't match
your birth certificate. If you don't have a passport and your ID
doesn't match your birth certificate, you can't prove your citizenship.
According to the SAVE Act, you won't be able to vote.
Right now, under Trump and Musk's disastrous economy, families like
so many of those who I represent back home in Georgia are struggling to
keep up with the cost of groceries, let alone adding $130 for a
passport just to register to vote.
In Georgia, over half of the population doesn't have a passport, and
our driver's licenses, even the REAL ID, don't prove citizenship.
This resolution could force Georgians to pay more than $700 million
just to register to vote.
Mr. Speaker, that is a poll tax, plain and simple, and it is blatant
voter suppression.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Georgia.
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, voter suppression by any other
name is still voter suppression. This resolution violates the 14th
Amendment, 19th Amendment, 24th Amendment, and every tenet of a free
and inclusive democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this disgrace of
a voter suppression resolution.
[[Page H1575]]
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), a member of the Committee on House
Administration.
Mrs. BICE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act.
Mr. Speaker, under President Biden, nearly 5 million illegal aliens
were released into the United States. Biden's failure at the southern
border has diluted the voting power that is reserved for only American
citizens. This crisis is not only a national security concern but one
that can seriously alter the outcome of our elections.
Just this past election cycle, both the States of Alabama and
Virginia removed thousands of registered voters who were not American
citizens. Securing our elections is of paramount importance, and we
must ensure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat.
The SAVE Act will strengthen our election administration, improve
voter confidence, and ensure that American elections are only for
American citizens. Specifically, it amends the National Voter
Registration Act to require States to obtain proof of citizenship when
an individual registers to vote.
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. This legislation does not prohibit
married women from voting, and the absurd narrative of this has gotten
out of control.
Mr. Speaker, when someone changes their name, just as I have when I
got married, they have to provide their birth certificate and a
marriage certificate. This is already required when you update your ID,
your Social Security records, and, yes, your voter registration, too.
When your name is legally changed, it updates across government
systems. REAL IDs, passports, and other valid forms of ID mentioned in
the SAVE Act are sufficient proof of citizenship. Your birth
certificate doesn't have to match your current ID.
I will add this: The claim is that it will disenfranchise married
women and others who might have to change their names because the
documentation might show two different names, but the SAVE Act itself
addresses this point in the text. Page 14, line 9 directs the States to
create a process for addressing this exact issue.
I find myself asking: Why are the Democrats refusing to take steps to
safeguard our elections and protect the votes of every single American
citizen?
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the SAVE Act, and I look forward to
voting for it. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I hate to disagree with my dear friend, the gentlewoman
from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), but the words ``marriage certificate'' do
not appear anywhere in the SAVE Act. In fact, it could have been
written in that way since Republicans are adding all these lists and
requirements for people to do. Yet, it actually does make it harder for
almost 70 million American women to vote.
Eighty-four percent of women choose their husband's name when they
get married. That is just a statistic.
As we have discussed, under the SAVE Act, most Americans will be
unable to use the standard-issued driver's license when registering to
vote because most REAL IDs don't include citizenship on them. They
don't automatically update if you haven't registered at all. When you
go to register, there is nothing to update.
You have your birth certificate. In the case of Mary Beth Bauer, that
is what it says on her certificate. Her driver's license now says
``Mary Beth Morelle.'' She would not be able to register using those
two pieces of information. She would have to get an additional piece of
documentation to register, which is not identified in the SAVE Act.
Mr. Speaker, I think we have talked about it at length. This is
clearly intended to make it much more difficult. According to House
Republicans, none of these women should be allowed to register to vote.
They are roughly 25 percent of the U.S. citizen voting age population.
I also suggest to my friend from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) that an
estimated 179,000 women in her district have a different name on their
birth certificate than a current photo ID, and roughly 394,000
residents of Oklahoma's Fifth District lack a passport. The SAVE Act
would cost them $51.3 million to secure passports.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Mullin), my dear friend.
Mr. MULLIN. Mr. Speaker, free and fair elections are the foundation
of any functioning democracy. The SAVE Act is a blatant attempt to
undermine our election system, weaken American democracy, and unfairly
suppress millions of eligible citizens from voting.
If the SAVE Act becomes law, eligible Americans would have to provide
either a passport or a birth certificate to register to vote and cast
their ballots. About half of American citizens, roughly 150 million
people, don't own a passport.
If an eligible voter doesn't have the means to pay for a passport,
they would need a birth certificate that states their current legal
name. This act could suppress the votes of millions of women in this
country who have changed their names after marriage.
To be clear, if you are a married woman, I guess Republicans don't
want you to vote. If you can't afford a passport, Republicans don't
want you to vote. If you are a college student whose birth certificate
is back home, Republicans don't want you to vote.
Congress has a responsibility to ensure that all eligible citizens
can participate in free and fair elections. The SAVE Act would do the
opposite.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Boebert).
Ms. BOEBERT. Mr. Speaker, bless my colleagues' hearts on the other
side of the aisle for using married women as a gotcha for voting. I
have never had to bring my birth certificate to prove that I was a
registered voter. I have an ID that has a different name than my birth
certificate.
Also, since we are using women as bait here, maybe in the next round
of debates, Democrats could explain to us exactly what a woman is.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the SAVE Act. The American people
are done messing around with a woke, weak-kneed system that lets our
elections get hijacked. I am fighting for them, for me, and for every
American who knows that our vote is sacred. It is time to lock it down
with citizens only.
Mr. Speaker, let's cut the crap. Right now, people can walk up, check
a box claiming that they are a citizen, and, boom, they are registered
for Federal elections with no proof and no ID.
That is not a system built on trust. It is a system vulnerable to
error, fraud, and exploitation.
In Colorado, the process was just expedited for illegals to receive a
driver's license. In the State of Colorado, when you obtain a driver's
license, you register to vote.
The SAVE Act is a commonsense measure designed to protect the
integrity of our electoral process. At its core, it requires proof of
citizenship to register to vote in Federal elections.
This isn't radical. It is not extreme. It is a basic safeguard to
ensure that only those who are legally entitled to participate in our
elections can do so.
Let's be clear. This isn't about denying anyone's right to vote. It
is about protecting the rights of every American citizen, not adding
votes and subtracting American citizens' votes.
Mr. Speaker, I support the SAVE Act.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all persons in the
gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation
of the rules of the House.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 14 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 14 minutes remaining.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I note that while the previous speaker, Ms. Boebert, has
not had to bring all of those documents, she hasn't had to register to
vote under the SAVE Act. That is actually the point.
Mr. Speaker, I also remind her that an estimated 159,000 women in her
district have a different name on their
[[Page H1576]]
birth certificate than they have on their current photo ID and that
roughly 284,000 residents of Colorado's Fourth District lack a
passport. The SAVE Act could cost them $36.9 million to secure
passports in order to register to vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs.
Ramirez), my friend.
Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the SAVE Act. The bottom
line is that the SAVE Act suppresses the votes of women; Black, Brown,
and indigenous people; veterans; and working-class Americans.
In advancing it, Republicans invoke those historical policies that
were intended to disenfranchise Americans. Let me remind Members what
they were: literacy tests and poll taxes for eligible voters,
grandfather clauses that tied voters' rights to the grandfathers before
the Civil War, all-White primaries to eliminate Black voters' presence
in the electoral process, and now: Show me your papers.
The SAVE Act is the same trash, just a different day. It is the
Republicans' latest attempt to make clear who the majority believes
should have access to vote and who should not.
Anyone who votes for this resolution will go down in the history
books with the likes of Confederate politicians, Jim Crow advocates,
and white supremacists as bigots.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Mrs. Cammack) to speak on the resolution.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution as a woman
and as the chairwoman of the Republican Women's Caucus, not only for
election integrity but clearly literacy because Democrats have not read
the resolution. That much is clear.
This resolution is very simple. It ensures that only American
citizens can vote in our Federal elections. This isn't hard. Eighty-
seven percent of Americans agree that only Americans should vote in our
elections.
Mr. Speaker, it makes me wonder why my friends on the other side of
the aisle are always and consistently looking for ways to ensure that
illegals can vote in our elections. It is almost as though they have an
ulterior motive.
{time} 1000
You have to show an ID to board a plane, to buy alcohol, to cash a
check. You have to show an ID to buy cold medicine for God's sakes. Why
should people not have to verify their citizenship to register to vote?
I say to register because my friend over here keeps pointing out that
women in every single congressional district will have to provide proof
of their name change in order to vote.
I ask my colleagues across the aisle to read the bill, page 14. If
you are registering to vote, there is a process by which the States
establish. If you are already registered to vote, you are fine. Read
the bill. Stop insulting women.
I am sick and tired and I know women across this country are sick and
tired of being talked down to and being insulted repeatedly with the
fear-mongering tactics of the left. It is disingenuous for them to
stand there and to continue to say that women will not be eligible to
vote.
This is about protecting one of our most sacred rights that we have
as Americans, and I am so proud to stand here as a woman, as a married
woman, and, again, as the chair of the Republican Women's Caucus in
safeguarding and ensuring the integrity of our elections.
The Speaker pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Florida.
Mrs. CAMMACK. The point is, is that Americans around this country are
sick and tired of the fear-mongering tactics that they have been
subjected to by the left for decades. We need to ensure the integrity
of our elections. It has been demanded by the American people, and we
are making good on that promise today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the SAVE Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I think my colleagues doth protest too much. I have read
the bill many times. I have debated the bill. There is nothing in the
bill that allows you to bring a marriage license to prove who you are
when you register to vote. You will have to do all the things we
suggest you will have to do, and that is exactly the problem.
I will also remind my colleague and friend from Florida that in Mrs.
Cammack's district, an estimated 170,000 women in her congressional
district have a different name on their birth certificate than on their
current photo ID and that roughly 409,000 residents of Florida's Third
Congressional District lack a passport. The cost to those individuals:
$53.1 million to secure passports.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms.
Sewell), my dear friend and distinguished member of our committee and
the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Elections of House
Administration.
Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the
House Republican's so-called SAVE Act, the most restrictive voting law
to be considered by this body in decades.
The SAVE Act is just the latest in the ongoing assault on our
democracy by President Trump and his allies in Congress. Instead of
working to meet the needs of the American people, House Republicans are
busy spreading fear and lies to justify their attempts to
disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
Let's be clear: It is already against the law for non-Americans to
vote. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. The SAVE Act
would create new barriers to the ballot box for millions of eligible
voters. That includes almost 70 million American women who got married
and changed their last name. It also includes 140 million Americans
without a passport, and it includes Americans with military and Tribal
IDs.
To be clear, this bill is not about protecting our elections; it is
about making it harder for Americans to vote and easier for Republicans
to win.
As elected officials, we should be working to expand access to the
ballot box, not restrict it. Congress should be considering H.R. 14,
the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure that
every American can freely and fairly vote.
Mr. Speaker, this is very personal to me. I am not only the
Representative of America's civil rights district, but I am also the
proud daughter of Selma, Alabama. It was in my hometown where hundreds
of foot soldiers were bludgeoned on a bridge for the equal right of all
Americans to vote. This legislation before us today makes a mockery of
their legacy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the SAVE
Act.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bean) to speak on the bill.
Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the chairman for
yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, one citizen, one vote. It is the pillar of our democracy
and you would think that of all the issues that we debate on this
hallowed floor, this is the one. This is the one that brings everybody
together, the pillar of our democracy, one citizen, one vote. Everybody
is on the same team.
Mr. Speaker, you would be wrong. It is amazing that you would be
wrong because there are people in this room that think women are
incapable of getting an ID. I think that is an insult to women.
Mr. Speaker, let me remind you why we are here. We are here because
this previous administration, the Biden administration, imported 10 to
15 million illegal aliens who have come here and we have evidence that
they are participating in our elections.
The next thing you will say is: Did they get Social Security numbers?
Mr. Speaker, they did. The DOGE team just announced millions of
illegals now have Social Security numbers. It is happening, and it ends
today when we vote on the SAVE Act.
I have just heard my colleagues say it is already against the law. We
don't need this act, but let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, it is already
against the law for a minor to buy beer, but yet the clerk checks the
ID before the purchase is made.
[[Page H1577]]
We need the SAVE Act. We need security. We need to come together. I
invite our colleagues to come together. There is still time to agree
that the pillar of our democracy is one citizen, one vote. The right
answer on the SAVE Act is a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's comments lead me to the question: Do
Republicans believe that every attestation under Federal law is rife
for subversion? Americans must attest under penalty of perjury that
their tax returns contain correct information. Do Republicans want to
end this honor system by requiring Americans to provide even more
documentation to the Internal Revenue Service?
It is a Federal crime to lie on alcohol, tobacco, and firearms Form
4473, the firearms transaction record. That form is filled out under
the same honor system that governs voter registrations. Are you telling
me that Republicans are open to strengthening gun licensing laws in the
United States and no longer accept attestation?
Each of us must submit records to the FEC, attesting under penalty of
perjury that our campaign committee reports are accurate. Do
Republicans now want to provide the American people greater
transparency around political spending because if they do, I have a
bill they can support, the Freedom to Vote Act.
I will also suggest to the gentleman, Representative Bean, that an
estimated 170,000 women in his district have a different last name on
their birth certificate than is on their current photo ID and roughly
397,000 residents of Florida's Fourth District do not have a passport.
It would cost them $51.7 million to secure one.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Conaway).
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the
SAVE Act. While everyday Americans are struggling from the fallout of
Trump's disastrous tariff policies, Republicans are pushing through a
bill that strips Americans' constitutional right to vote, a vote that
was hard won and for which many died.
They claim the SAVE Act is intended to prevent undocumented
immigrants from voting, but it is already illegal for them to vote, and
it is extremely rare.
In reality, the SAVE Act makes it harder for Americans, especially
women and people of color, to participate in our elections. We have
seen these tactics before, creating barriers to the ballot box to
suppress the vote, and yet Republicans continue to find ways to
undermine democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to take a hard look in the mirror
and ask themselves: Do you want to stand on the side of voter
suppression or do you want to stand on the side of democracy? I choose
democracy and will vote ``no'' on this dangerous anti-American bill.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am hearing from the other side that it is already
illegal for noncitizens to vote. That is true. It is also illegal to
evade Border Patrol and cross the border illegally into the United
States of America, but enforcement matters.
We can look at what happens when you don't enforce the law under the
Biden administration and what happens when you do enforce the law under
the Trump administration.
I think back to when I went home to my hometown in Janesville,
Wisconsin, the other day and I went to buy a six-pack of beer. I walked
in and the gentlewoman at the desk said: Bryan, good to see you. I went
back, grabbed a six-pack of beer, came up, and she said: Bryan, I need
to see your ID. I pulled out my ID and handed it to her. She reviewed
it. She allowed me to purchase a six-pack of beer.
Am I the only one here that thinks it is absolutely absurd that we
protect our beer more than we protect our ballots? This law allows us
to make sure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections. Mr.
Speaker, it is about enforcement of the law. I ask my colleagues across
the aisle: How many noncitizen votes should be okay?
The answer to me and my colleagues on this side of the aisle is zero
because every noncitizen that votes in a Federal election in the United
States of America cancels out the vote of a U.S. citizen. As we know in
this Chamber, very often House races are close. One of our
Representatives in this Chamber was elected by simply six votes. One
noncitizen voting in a Federal election in the United States is too
many, and the arguments I am hearing from my colleagues on the left is
that they are okay with noncitizens voting.
It is essential that not only do we have the law but that we enforce
the law, and the SAVE Act does just that.
This is my good friend, Chip Roy, from the State of Texas, the author
of the bill, who I have been working with to do just that.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy) to speak on the bill.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his strong work and
commitment to election integrity and to working with us on this bill,
in particular, the SAVE Act. He has done an extraordinary job, and I am
proud to work with him and work with the rest of my colleagues on it.
I am also proud to work with my friend, Cleta Mitchell, who had a
significant hand in what we are doing here. I am quite certain that she
is pretty well aware of protecting the right of females to be able to
vote, along with my friends Stephanie Bice, Mary Miller, Laurel Lee,
Lauren Boebert, and Kat Cammack, all of whom came down to the floor in
full support of this legislation because they know the truth.
They know the truth that the American people know, which is that, as
much as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to bring up
the DMV, the American people know that the DMV is very good at giving
driver's licenses to illegal aliens because we know it to be true. We
know that there are people who have been indicted for voting illegally.
We know that there are voter rolls with massive numbers of people who
are illegally present in the United States. We know that the previous
administration let in millions of people into the United States,
wrongfully and illegally under parole and asylum, blatantly abusing the
law to put people in the United States that have no basis for being
here, many of whom carried out dangerous acts against American people,
killed American citizens, but importantly, have been registering to
vote. That is what has been happening.
What we understand is, the American people have spoken very clearly
that they believe only American citizens should vote in American
elections. There is nothing controversial about that. There is nothing
controversial about saying that you should be able to ensure that only
citizens vote.
Let's be very clear: Federal law has currently been interpreted to
prohibit States from being able to check citizenship. That is the
truth. That is why the State of Arizona, for example, has two systems--
one for State and local, one for Federal.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks
to the Chair.
Mr. ROY. The good people of Arizona have two systems in place: They
check for citizenship for State and local elections, and they are
unable to check for citizenship in Federal elections. The point of this
bill is to ensure that we guarantee only citizens vote by allowing
those States to be able to check, by having systems, Federal systems be
open to the States to be able to check, and to require proof of
citizenship when you register.
There is nothing complex about that. There is nothing more sacred
under the Constitution than ensuring that the people are able to have
the voice in the election of the people that represent them in
Washington and throughout the country.
{time} 1015
Mr. Speaker, once that is undermined, then people lose faith in the
very institutions upon which this is built. This legislation is
designed to restore that faith, to save our elections, and to save
election integrity.
I am proud to have worked on this bill with my friend, the chairman,
and with my colleagues on this side of the aisle. I would note that
five of my Democratic colleagues joined us last summer to vote for this
bill, hardly a partisan exercise to say that we should protect the
elections of the American people.
[[Page H1578]]
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, to restore
confidence and faith in our elections, and to take a step forward in
ensuring the people know that citizens will be in control of this
Republic as the Founders intended.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 7 minutes
remaining.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Figures), my friend.
Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, all of my colleagues today are speaking
about this bill, and it is personal to me because I represent Alabama.
I represent the birthplace of the civil rights movement.
I would be remiss not to mention that election integrity was not an
issue that my colleagues had been pushing until Donald Trump told them
that they should be pushing this issue.
Americans have confidence in elections. For me, it is about too many
people doing too many things too courageously for me to be able to
stand here today. There are names like James Reeb, Jimmie Lee Jackson,
Viola Liuzzo, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner.
These are people who died for me to be here today. Congressman John
Lewis, who most of you served with, died for me to be here today.
This bill would make it tougher than it has ever been in American
history to register to vote at a time when we have the technological
ability to be able to verify election eligibility, but we don't want to
do that. We want to make it tougher for people to actually get
registered to vote, and that is not what we should be doing. We should
be making it easier for people to vote.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 3\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Kiley), my friend and colleague.
Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of
the SAVE Act to advance the radical proposition that only American
citizens should vote in American elections.
Of course, this isn't radical at all. It is common sense. I think the
vast majority of Americans would be shocked to learn that it elicits
any opposition at all.
In many States in this country, foremost my own State of California,
the administration of our elections is completely out of touch with the
rest of the developed world, falling well short of the standards that
ought to exist in a modern democratic society.
This measure requiring proof of citizenship in order to vote is a
needed corrective. I believe, in my State, it will complement other
initiatives that we are advancing now to require voter ID and to have a
timely vote-counting process in order to restore public confidence in
our election process.
What is at stake is not only election integrity and election security
but democratic legitimacy, ensuring that our people have the ability to
express themselves fully in our own identity as a State in the country
through the democratic process.
I urge passage of this on a bipartisan basis.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Friedman).
Ms. FRIEDMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Morelle for
yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this so-called SAVE Act,
a bill that is a modern-day poll tax targeting American women and low-
income Americans.
This bill bans voter ID. It bans using driver's licenses as a voter
ID unless they are backed by additional proof of citizenship, a
requirement that excludes nearly all driver's licenses and REAL IDs
issued today.
For women who have changed their names, often through marriage, this
means showing a passport or a birth certificate that may not match
their legal name. That would have meant that my grandmother, who had
long since lost her birth certificate, would have been ineligible to
vote under this bill.
In California alone, that would include more than 7 million women.
This would force those women to pay $130 just to get the passport they
need to vote. With nearly a third of Californians lacking passports,
this bill would cost them more than $1.25 billion statewide.
If you have to pay to vote, that is called a poll tax, plain and
simple. It is also unnecessary red tape for people just trying to cast
a ballot.
This is a bill in search of a problem. We have enough trouble getting
American citizens to vote.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Latimer), my dear friend.
Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Morelle for yielding me the
time.
Mr. Speaker, the American people in my district and in my State have
spoken clearly. This bill is voter suppression, pure and simple.
It is brought to us under the guise of stopping illegal voting. When
we analyze voting in Westchester County, where I was the county
executive for a million people, we found no appreciable illegal voting.
This is an opportunity for this majority to try to impose their will
on the States that they don't already control.
They want to end mail voter registration in my home State to satisfy
other States' regressive laws.
They want to require people who have voted legally for years to prove
their citizenship if they not only change their name but if they move.
A simple move requires them to drive to a county board of elections and
prove that they are an American citizen when they have proven that over
the course of 20 years or more of voting.
This bill subjects local officials to hefty criminal fines if they
register someone outside of these rules. This is an expensive unfunded
mandate in Westchester, New York City, and all the States involved.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I was remiss earlier. I want to remind my
colleague, Mr. Roy, that an estimated 150,000 women in his district
have a different name on their birth certificate than on their photo
ID, and 336,000 residents of Texas' 2lst District lack a passport, a
cost of $43.7 million to those who would need to get a passport should
they choose that.
Also, I would like to remind my colleague, Representative Kiley, an
estimated 135,000 women in his district have a different name, and
roughly 268,000 residents of California's Third District do not have a
passport. The cost to them for getting one is $34.8 million.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Johnson), my friend.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the
Republicans' voter suppression act.
I want to give Republicans one chance to actually fulfill the
rhetoric that they are spouting to the American people, which is
actually giving people the right to vote.
I appreciate efforts to ensure that our elections are safe and free
from foreign interference and that only U.S. citizens can vote.
However, one of my concerns with this bill is, as it is written, it
does not allow for mail or online voter registration.
This bill, let me be perfectly clear, requires hardworking American
people who go to work at 8 in the morning and who don't get off until 5
p.m. to go in person to a voter registration office, to take off work
to go in person to register to vote.
That is why I have offered an amendment to have online voter
registration. There are millions of servicemembers and their families
serving our country overseas, individuals with disabilities, and
seniors who are unable to vote in person. Why are we keeping these
barriers for eligible citizens when the world is evolving around us?
We live in modern times, and so many of our lives happen online for
daily activities. We can pay our bills and we can pay our taxes online.
You can apply for college, a car, a home, and everything else online.
For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to
recommit
[[Page H1579]]
this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have
offered the motion with my commonsense amendment to this bill.
My amendment would ensure Americans could still register to vote and
prove their citizenship online or by mail. This is a simple,
commonsense amendment, and it would make certain that we can care for
the people who can't get out of their homes and that this Congress is
not depriving any eligible citizens of their right to vote.
Republicans have refused this amendment. Republicans are refusing
your ability to go and make it easy for citizens to register to vote in
this country. Republicans can now vote to pass this amendment.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The SAVE Act is, to put it nicely, the most severe voter suppression
bill ever considered at the Federal level.
Coupled with President Trump's recent antivoter executive order, the
SAVE Act would end the voter registration process for all Americans as
they know it.
Republicans have repeatedly failed to present any evidence that
noncitizen voting at the Federal level has ever affected the outcome of
any election.
The SAVE Act will make it harder for American citizens to vote--for
married women to vote, for servicemembers, students, rural Americans,
senior citizens, Native voters, survivors of natural disasters, and
survivors of domestic abuse to vote. It will make voting more
expensive, in fact forcing American families to pay billions of dollars
just to register to vote.
Democrats want a country where every American citizen can vote. That
is why we champion bills like the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R.
Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Native American Voting
Rights Act, not the SAVE Act.
I fiercely oppose this anti-American bill. I urge every one of my
colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, to defeat this extremist,
antivoter SAVE Act.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The SAVE Act is clear. Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S.
elections.
Let's summarize the arguments here. My colleagues on this side of the
aisle believe that only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections,
and we should keep it that way.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle just moments ago said
that there is no appreciable illegal voting. Well, how much illegal
voting should be allowed in the United States of America? In my
opinion, no noncitizens should vote in U.S. elections.
We can go down and look at the data. Illinois had to remove 600
noncitizens from their voter rolls. Pennsylvania had to remove 10,000
noncitizens from their voter rolls. In Georgia, 1,600 noncitizens
attempted to register. In our Nation's Capital, where they allow
noncitizens to vote in municipal elections, this past November, 388
noncitizens voted here in our Nation's Capital in municipal elections.
You will hear the argument from my colleagues across the aisle that
it is already illegal to vote if you are a noncitizen in a Federal
election. I tell them, as I said earlier, it is already illegal to
evade Border Patrol and to come into this country, but Joe Biden was
happy not to enforce the law. Millions of illegal immigrants have come
into the United States of America.
The National Voter Registration Act, as drafted by this body, if you
broke it, you have to fix it. We have to fix the voting laws.
The National Voter Registration Act requires States to give voter
registration materials when an individual comes to get a driver's
license. In States that give driver's licenses to illegal aliens, like
the State of Illinois, just to the south of my home State of Wisconsin,
they are handed voter registration materials.
{time} 1030
Mr. Speaker, I view that as insane. We should be making sure that
only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections. You will hear
arguments about it is burdensome.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is absurd that we are protecting beer more
than we are protecting ballots. You have to show a photo ID when you go
in to buy a six-pack of beer. You should have to go in and show that
you are a U.S. citizen when you register to vote. It is just that
simple.
I remind my colleagues that we had this debate in this Chamber last
Congress. Five Democrats joined us in voting for this bill. In a few
moments, we will be voting, Mr. Speaker. It will be darn interesting to
see how many Democrats have the courage to come across the line and say
``yes'' to only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections. My
colleagues should support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 294, the previous question is ordered on
the bill.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the
desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Johnson of Texas moves to recommit the bill H.R. 22 to
the Committee on House Administration.
The material previously referred to by Ms. Johnson of Texas is as
follows:
Ms. Johnson of Texas moves to recommit the bill H.R. 22 to
the Committee on House Administration with instructions to
report the same back to the House forthwith, with the
following amendment:
Page 8, line 24, insert ``, online, or by mail'' after ``in
person''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question are postponed.
____________________