Millions of Americans are cheering after the House of Representatives awarded them a huge victory regarding election integrity.
Specifically, the lower chamber of Congress passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, requiring proof of citizenship for all voter registrations.
Championed by President Donald Trump, the bill will safeguard American elections from foreign interference despite Democrats’ claims that it will suppress legitimate voters.
The Act, which was advanced with a 220-208 vote, would require all new voter registrants to provide documented proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, before being added to voter rolls.
This legislative victory moves forward a key Trump administration priority to codify into law the executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms.
During debate on the House floor, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) said:
“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, condescending and an untrue argument. You need an ID for most everything else in daily life.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a key sponsor of the legislation, defended the bill as a necessary protection.
“It’s a growing and increasing problem,” Roy stated before the vote. “We just want to get in front of it now.”
The congressman has consistently pointed to the Biden administration’s border policies as creating urgency for stricter voting safeguards.
Four Democrats crossed party lines to support the measure, which now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune is a co-sponsor.
The legislation builds upon similar initiatives already underway in states like Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott has worked to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) emphasized that the bill would “restore Americans’ confidence in our elections” by addressing widespread concerns about election security that have persisted since 2020.
The bill would create uniform standards requiring citizens to present actual proof of their eligibility rather than simply signing an attestation form.
“Election integrity is everything,” Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) declared. “It’s up to us to do the best that we can to make sure that in the future, we have free and fair elections for everyone in this country.”
Democrats have pushed back forcefully. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) called the legislation “everything our civil rights leaders fought against” and claimed it amounts to “a poll tax, plain and simple, and it’s blatant voter suppression.”
Their objections center on the costs associated with obtaining proper documentation and the potential impact on certain voter demographics.
Liberal advocacy groups claim the bill could disenfranchise over 21 million citizens who allegedly lack readily available citizenship documentation, particularly married women who would need multiple documents due to name changes.
However, Republicans counter that identification is already required for numerous everyday activities and that securing elections against potential fraud is paramount.
While the bill faces an uncertain future in the narrowly divided Senate, its passage represents a significant step toward implementing President Trump’s vision for election security.
If enacted, the SAVE Act would become one of the most consequential voting integrity measures in decades, ensuring that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections.
