Lone Democrat joins all Republicans to pass landmark election integrity bill barring noncitizens from voting

The House passed a historic election integrity bill Wednesday night with the help of just one Democrat.

Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy's SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, passed the House in a 218-213 vote with the support of every House Republican, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, a vulnerable candidate who was pardoned by President Donald Trump on bribery and money-laundering charges, was the sole Democrat to cross the aisle and vote with Republicans.

'There’s a false rumor that I voted against the Save America Act today.'

"I support the SAVE America Act because I believe in a fundamental principle: American citizens should decide American elections," Cuellar said in a post on X, defying his entire party. "That principle strengthens our democracy and protects the value of every vote."

"This is the same secure but practical approach Texas already uses — strong photo ID standards with real fallback options — and it's a big reason Texas has some of the strongest election security laws in the country."

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Following the bill's passage, Massie clarified his support for the legislation after initially voting against a procedural vote on the SAVE America Act.

"There’s a false rumor that I voted against the Save America Act today," Massie clarified in a post on X on Wednesday. "I’ll vote for it when it comes to the floor."

"I voted against a 'rule' that allows it to get a vote, but the 'rule' also suspends house rules and allows spending bills to come to the floor with no 24hr notice!"

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With the House's stamp of approval, the SAVE America Act is headed to the Senate, where onlookers anxiously wait to see if it will garner enough support. As of this writing, 46 Republicans including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) have co-sponsored the legislation.

"I'd be hard pressed to have to defend a position that doesn't believe that you have to be an American citizen to vote in an American election," Thune said.

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