$50M in REAL ID Grants Could Provide Path for Passing SAVE Act

A $50 million federal grant program to help states implement REAL ID could be a way to pass parts of the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election integrity proposal.

“We are using every tool to get the SAVE America Act passed,” Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., told the Daily Signal, a co-sponsor of the proposal. “This bill has a very legitimate budget impact and provides tools and grants for states to implement REAL ID.”

The SAVE America Act, short for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, passed the House but not the Senate. It would require government identification and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and also restrict mail-in ballots.

“We have passed it multiple times, so the House is not the problem. The Senate needs to act,” Fedorchak said.

However, to overcome a Senate filibuster, a proposal would have to be tied to a spending measure so it could pass on a simple majority vote through the process of reconciliation. Fedorchak notes that passing her SAVE America Through REAL ID Act as part of the proposed reconciliation bill could ultimately incentivize states to adopt voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements in elections.

Fedorchak and Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, introduced the SAVE America Through REAL ID Act last month. The proposal would establish a $50 million federal grant program to help states issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards free of charge to eligible low-income Americans. This would require use of REAL ID for voting.

“The federal government would provide $50 million as a starting point. It could be more, combined with other tools,” Fedorchak said.

“The goal is for all states to have proof of citizenship since it’s common sense that only American citizens should vote,” she later added.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., along with Vice President JD Vance, met with the House Republican Conference about passing “Reconciliation 3.0.” Johnson called it “our best shot at enacting our party’s top priority legislation.”

He said the key committees to hammer out the bill would include the House Administration Committee, where Lee oversees election issues; the House Armed Services Committee; the House Agriculture Committee; and the House Intelligence Committee.

Fedorchak said that “outside the Beltway,” the SAVE America Act is popular because the vast majority of Americans “think only citizens should vote and that you should have photo ID.”

The policy of voter ID has 83% public support, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center poll. That’s consistent with historic polling. A smaller majority, but still a solid 59%, support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, according to a YouGov poll from March.

The Fedorchak and Lee REAL ID bill would also allow states to waive application and issuance fees for eligible individuals. The funding would help cover administrative costs associated with processing REAL ID applications and support mobile and remote REAL ID services for rural communities.

Further, the proposal would provide resources to state and local governments to assist applicants in obtaining required supporting documentation needed to secure a REAL ID.