House Passes SAVE America Act

The House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act by a 218-213 margin on Wednesday, a bill which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to vote in federal elections. 

Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting for the bill. One Republican and one Democrat did not vote.

A modified version of the previously passed “SAVE Act,” the bill includes new photo identification requirements. It is a priority of hardline conservatives in Congress.

The original SAVE Act passed by a 220-208 vote in April 2025.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who introduced the bill in the House, said of the bill before its passage, “This is commonsense legislation. It will require citizenship to register to vote, and it will require voter ID at the polls. This is an issue that polls at something like 80%.”

The bill has faced generalized Democrat resistance, especially in the Senate, where Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said it would impose “Jim Crow style restrictions on voting.”

House Republican leaders backed the bill, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., signing on as co-sponsors. The bill had zero Democrat co-sponsors.

Multiple Democrats who backed the original SAVE Act did not support the SAVE America Act.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, for example, explained his opposition to a Washington Examiner reporter, saying the two bills are “not even the same bill.”

“I’ve never supported voter ID at the ballot box,” said Golden.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., a previous supporter of the SAVE Act, also opposed the SAVE America Act, writing on X, “if your legislation requires government to provide free photocopy services, you have not written a good piece of legislation,” in reference to one of the bill’s provisions.

Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, who also voted SAVE Act, voted against the bill Wednesday.

House Republicans have in recent days launched a pressure campaign on Senate Republicans to force what is known as a “talking filibuster” to help pass the bill, in order to overcome the chamber’s typical 60-vote threshold for ending debate on bills. 

This would, in theory, entail Senate Republicans refusing to adjourn and enforcing a two-speech limit on Senate Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., citing the time-consuming nature of this approach, has not come out in support of it, but has indicated Senate Republicans will discuss its merits.

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