The Democratic-controlled House witnessed a rare bipartisan moment as four Democrats crossed party lines to support a Republican-led bill.
According to The Daily Caller, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act with a 220-208 vote, requiring states to verify citizenship before registering voters for federal elections.
Democratic Representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Ed Case of Hawaii joined 216 Republicans in supporting the legislation. The bill mandates states to obtain proof of citizenship before registering individuals for federal elections and requires the removal of non-citizens from existing voter rolls.
GOP Representative Ronny Jackson expressed strong support for the legislation, emphasizing its role in protecting election integrity. The bill specifies acceptable forms of proof for American citizenship, including documentation that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005.
Democrats opposing the bill argued it would create barriers for eligible voters, particularly married women whose surnames differ from their birth certificates. However, Republican Representative Kat Cammack refuted these claims during the House debate, pointing to specific provisions in the bill addressing such concerns.
The legislation has gained momentum following recent discoveries of non-citizens on voter rolls across multiple states. Government officials in Alabama, Virginia, Texas, and Ohio identified approximately 17,000 non-citizens registered to vote before the 2024 general election.
Several instances of non-citizens voting in federal elections have emerged in recent months. Michigan authorities reported a Chinese national allegedly voted in the 2024 general election, while two individuals from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty to assuming American identities to vote.
The Biden administration previously opposed similar state-level efforts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. The Justice Department sued Virginia and Alabama to block their voter roll purge initiatives.
America First Legal, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County, Arizona, regarding allegations of failing to remove 35,000 registered voters who had not provided citizenship proof.
The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled Senate, where Senator Mike Lee sponsors its companion version. GOP control of both chambers increases the likelihood of the legislation reaching President Trump's desk.
Texas GOP Representative Chip Roy, who introduced the SAVE Act, sees better prospects for the bill's passage compared to its previous iteration in the last congressional session. The legislation has received explicit support from President Trump, who emphasized the importance of limiting voting rights to American citizens.
Rep. Lee, defending the bill's significance, stated:
Public trust in the integrity of our elections is absolutely essential for the legitimacy of our democratic institutions. A vast majority of our countrymen agree: only American citizens should be able to register and vote in American elections. The SAVE Act gives states the ability to prevent illegal voter registration and protect the ballot box from foreign election interference.
The SAVE Act represents a significant legislative effort to enhance federal election security by implementing stricter voter registration requirements. The bill, passed with limited Democratic support, aims to prevent non-citizens from participating in federal elections while maintaining provisions to accommodate eligible voters whose documentation may have changed due to marriage or other circumstances. As the legislation moves to the Senate, its fate rests on continued Republican support and potential presidential approval, marking a crucial step in ongoing efforts to regulate voter eligibility in federal elections.
