Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 29 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)

[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2138-H2150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

VETERANS ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT OF 2025

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1057, I call up
the bill (S. 1383) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on
Equal Access, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate
consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goldman of Texas). Pursuant to House
Resolution 1057, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting
of the text of Rules Committee Print 119-19, modified by the amendment
printed in House Report 119-493 (modified by the amendment specified in
section 6 of H. Res. 1057), is adopted and the bill, as amended, is
considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

S. 1383

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguard American Voter
Eligibility Act'' or the ``SAVE America Act''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING ONLY CITIZENS ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN
ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.

(a) Definition of Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship.--Section 3 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20502) is amended--
(1) by striking ``As used'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--As used''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Documentary Proof of United States Citizenship.--As
used in this Act, the term `documentary proof of United
States citizenship' means, with respect to an applicant for
voter registration, any of the following:
``(1) A form of identification issued consistent with the
requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the
applicant is a citizen of the United States.
``(2) A valid United States passport.
``(3) The applicant's official United States military
identification card, together with a United States military
record of service showing that the applicant's place of birth
was in the United States.
``(4) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government showing that
the applicant's place of birth was in the United States.
``(5) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government other than an
identification described in paragraphs (1) through (4), but
only if presented together with one or more of the following:
``(A) A certified birth certificate issued by a State, a
unit of local government in a State, or a Tribal government
which--
``(i) was issued by the State, unit of local government, or
Tribal government in which the applicant was born;
``(ii) was filed with the office responsible for keeping
vital records in the State;
``(iii) includes the full name, date of birth, and place of
birth of the applicant;

[[Page H2139]]

``(iv) lists the full names of one or both of the parents
of the applicant;
``(v) has the signature of an individual who is authorized
to sign birth certificates on behalf of the State, unit of
local government, or Tribal government in which the applicant
was born;
``(vi) includes the date that the certificate was filed
with the office responsible for keeping vital records in the
State; and
``(vii) has the seal of the State, unit of local
government, or Tribal government that issued the birth
certificate.
``(B) An extract from a United States hospital Record of
Birth created at the time of the applicant's birth which
indicates that the applicant's place of birth was in the
United States.
``(C) A final adoption decree showing the applicant's name
and that the applicant's place of birth was in the United
States.
``(D) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a citizen of the
United States or a certification of the applicant's Report of
Birth of a United States citizen issued by the Secretary of
State.
``(E) A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of
Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security or
any other document or method of proof of United States
citizenship issued by the Federal government pursuant to the
Immigration and Nationality Act.
``(F) An American Indian Card issued by the Department of
Homeland Security with the classification `KIC'.''.
(b) Application of Requirements.--Section 4 of the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503) is amended
by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Requiring Applicants To Present Documentary Proof of
United States Citizenship.--Under any method of voter
registration in a State, the State shall not accept and
process an application to register to vote in an election for
Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary
proof of United States citizenship with the application.''.
(c) Registration With Application for Motor Vehicle
Driver's License.--Section 5 of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``Each State motor
vehicle driver's license application'' and inserting
``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j), each State
motor vehicle driver's license application'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``Each State shall
include'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements under
section 8(j), each State shall include'';
(3) in subsection (c)(2)(B)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iii) verify that the applicant is a citizen of the
United States;'';
(4) in subsection (c)(2)(C)(i), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship''; and
(5) in subsection (c)(2)(D)(iii), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting the following: ``, other than as evidence in a
criminal proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against
an applicant who knowingly attempts to register to vote and
knowingly makes a false declaration under penalty of perjury
that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements to
register to vote in an election for Federal office; and''.
(d) Requiring Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship With National Mail Voter Registration Form.--
Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20505) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Each State shall accept and use'' and
inserting ``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j),
each State shall accept and use''; and
(B) by striking ``Federal Election Commission'' and
inserting ``Election Assistance Commission'';
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``The chief State election official of a State shall take
such steps as may be necessary to ensure that residents of
the State are aware of the requirement to provide documentary
proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) the person did not provide documentary proof of
United States citizenship when registering to vote.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Ensuring Proof of United States Citizenship.--
``(1) Presenting proof of united states citizenship to
election official.--An applicant who submits the mail voter
registration application form prescribed by the Election
Assistance Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall not
be registered to vote in an election for Federal office
unless--
``(A) the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship in person to the office of the appropriate
election official not later than the deadline provided by
State law for the receipt of a completed voter registration
application for the election; or
``(B) in the case of a State which permits an individual to
register to vote in an election for Federal office at a
polling place on the day of the election and on any day when
voting, including early voting, is permitted for the
election, the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship to the appropriate election official at
the polling place not later than the date of the election.
``(2) Notification of requirement.--Upon receiving an
otherwise completed mail voter registration application form
prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission pursuant to
section 9(a)(2) or a form described in paragraph (1) or (2)
of subsection (a), the appropriate election official shall
transmit a notice to the applicant of the requirement to
present documentary proof of United States citizenship under
this subsection, and shall include in the notice instructions
to enable the applicant to meet the requirement.
``(3) Accessibility.--Each State shall, in consultation
with the Election Assistance Commission, ensure that
reasonable accommodations are made to allow an individual
with a disability who submits the mail voter registration
application form prescribed by the Election Assistance
Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form described in
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) to present documentary
proof of United States citizenship to the appropriate
election official.''.
(e) Requirements for Voter Registration Agencies.--Section
7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20506) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (4)(A), by adding at the end the following
new clause:
``(iv) Receipt of documentary proof of United States
citizenship of each applicant to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.''; and
(B) in paragraph (6)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i)(I), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship'';
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) ask the applicant the question, `Are you a citizen of
the United States?' and if the applicant answers in the
affirmative require documentary proof of United States
citizenship prior to providing the form under subparagraph
(C);''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``who are citizens
of the United States'' after ``for persons''.
(f) Requirements With Respect to Administration of Voter
Registration.--Section 8 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``In the administration of voter
registration'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements of
subsection (j), in the administration of voter
registration''; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the end; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(D) based on documentary proof or verified information
that the registrant is not a United States citizen; or
``(E) the registration otherwise fails to comply with
applicable State law;'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (l); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new
subsections:
``(j) Ensuring Only Citizens Are Registered to Vote.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, a State may not register an individual to vote in
elections for Federal office held in the State unless, at the
time the individual applies to register to vote, the
individual provides documentary proof of United States
citizenship.
``(2) Requirement in cases of name discrepancies in
documentation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
State shall accept and process an application to register to
vote in an election for Federal office if the applicant--
``(A) presents with the application documentation that
would constitute documentary proof of United States
citizenship, except that the name on the documentation is not
the name of the applicant; and
``(B) provides, through a process established by the State
(which shall be subject to any relevant guidance adopted by
the Election Assistance Commission)--
``(i) additional documentation as necessary to establish
that the name on the documentation is a previous name of the
applicant; or
``(ii) an affidavit signed by the applicant attesting that
the name on the documentation is a previous name of the
applicant.
``(3) Additional processes in certain cases.--
``(A) Process for those without documentary proof.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted
by the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant who cannot
provide documentary proof of United States citizenship under
paragraph (1) may, if the applicant signs an attestation
under penalty of perjury that the applicant is a citizen of
the United States and eligible to vote in elections for
Federal office, submit such other evidence to the appropriate
State or local official demonstrating that the applicant is a
citizen of the United States and such official shall make a
determination as to whether the applicant has sufficiently
established United States citizenship for purposes of
registering to vote in elections for Federal office in the
State.
``(ii) Affidavit requirement.--If a State or local official
makes a determination under clause (i) that an applicant has
sufficiently established United States citizenship for
purposes

[[Page H2140]]

of registering to vote in elections for Federal office in the
State, such determination shall be accompanied by an
affidavit developed under clause (iii) signed by the official
swearing or affirming the applicant sufficiently established
United States citizenship for purposes of registering to
vote.
``(iii) Development of affidavit by the election assistance
commission.--The Election Assistance Commission shall develop
a uniform affidavit for use by State and local officials
under clause (ii), which shall--
``(I) include an explanation of the minimum standards
required for a State or local official to register an
applicant who cannot provide documentary proof of United
States citizenship to vote in elections for Federal office in
the State; and
``(II) require the official to explain the basis for
registering such applicant to vote in such elections.
``(B) Process in case of certain discrepancies in
documentation.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted by
the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant can provide such
additional documentation to the appropriate election official
of the State as may be necessary to establish that the
applicant is a citizen of the United States in the event of a
discrepancy with respect to the applicant's documentary proof
of United States citizenship.
``(4) State requirements.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of the enactment of this subsection:
``(A) Each State shall take affirmative steps, on an
ongoing basis, to ensure that only United States citizens are
registered to vote under the provisions of this Act, and such
affirmative steps shall include the establishment of a
program described in subparagraphs (B) and (C).
``(B) Each State shall submit the complete, official list
of individuals registered as eligible voters for Federal
office in the State to the Department of Homeland Security
for comparison through the Systematic Alien Verification for
Entitlements (`SAVE') system for the purposes of identifying
individuals who are not citizens of the United States and
taking the necessary steps to remove such individuals who are
not citizens from the official list, after notice is given to
such individuals and such individuals are given the
opportunity to provide documentary proof of United States
citizenship, but a State with a memorandum of agreement for
such purposes with the Department of Homeland Security on the
date of the enactment of this subsection may comply with this
subparagraph by carrying out such purposes under the
memorandum.
``(C) Each State may utilize such other sources of data
available to the State for the purposes of identifying
individuals who are not citizens of the United States and
removing such individuals from the official list of eligible
voters for Federal office in the State, including (but not
limited to) the following:
``(i) State agencies that supply State identification cards
or driver's licenses where the agency confirms the United
States citizenship status of applicants.
``(ii) Other sources, including databases and information
provided pursuant to an agreement with the Commissioner of
Social Security under section 205(r)(9) of the Social
Security Act, which can be used to confirm United States
citizenship status, except that any such information provided
by the Commissioner may not be the sole grounds for the
removal of an individual from the official list of eligible
voters for elections for Federal office in a State.
``(5) Availability of information.--
``(A) In general.--At the request of a State election
official (including a request related to a process
established by a State under paragraph (3)(A) or (3)(B)), any
head of a Federal department or agency possessing information
relevant to determining the eligibility of an individual to
vote in elections for Federal office shall, not later than 24
hours after receipt of such request, provide the official
with such information as may be necessary to enable the
official to verify that an applicant for voter registration
in elections for Federal office held in the State or a
registrant on the official list of eligible voters in
elections for Federal office held in the State is a citizen
of the United States, which shall include providing the
official with such batched information as may be requested by
the official.
``(B) Use of save system.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security may respond to a request received under paragraph
(1) by using the system for the verification of immigration
status under the applicable provisions of section 1137 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-7), as established
pursuant to section 121(c) of the Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-603).
``(C) Sharing of information.--The heads of Federal
departments and agencies shall share information with each
other with respect to an individual who is the subject of a
request received under paragraph (A) in order to enable them
to respond to the request.
``(D) Investigation for purposes of removal.--The Secretary
of Homeland Security shall conduct an investigation to
determine whether to initiate removal proceedings under
section 239 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1229) if it is determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B)
that an alien (as such term is defined in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)) is
unlawfully registered to vote in elections for Federal
office.
``(E) Prohibiting fees.--The head of a Federal department
or agency may not charge a fee for responding to a State's
request under paragraph (A).
``(k) Removal of Noncitizens From Registration Rolls.--A
State shall remove an individual who is not a citizen of the
United States from the official list of eligible voters for
elections for Federal office held in the State at any time
upon receipt of documentation or verified information that a
registrant is not a United States citizen.''.
(g) Clarification of Authority of State To Remove
Noncitizens From Official List of Eligible Voters.--
(1) In general.--Section 8(a)(4) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(4)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(B) by adding ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) documentary proof or verified information that the
registrant is not a United States citizen;''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 8(c)(2)(B)(i) of such
Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(c)(2)(B)(i)) is amended by striking
``(4)(A)'' and inserting ``(4)(A) or (C)''.
(h) Requirements With Respect to Federal Mail Voter
Registration Form.--
(1) Contents of mail voter registration form.--Section 9(b)
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``(including an explanation of
what is required to present documentary proof of United
States citizenship)'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) shall include a section, for use only by a State or
local election official, to record the type of document the
applicant presented as documentary proof of United States
citizenship, including the date of issuance, the date of
expiration (if any), the office which issued the document,
and any unique identification number associated with the
document.''.
(2) Information on mail voter registration form.--Section
9(b)(4) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)(4)) is amended--
(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as
subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively; and
(B) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated and as amended
by paragraph (1)(C)), by striking ``; and'' and inserting the
following: ``, other than as evidence in a criminal
proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against an
applicant who attempts to register to vote and makes a false
declaration under penalty of perjury that the applicant meets
the eligibility requirements to register to vote in an
election for Federal office; and''.
(i) Private Right of Action.--Section 11(b)(1) of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20510(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``a violation of this
Act'' and inserting ``a violation of this Act, including the
act of an election official who registers an applicant to
vote in an election for Federal office who fails to present
documentary proof of United States citizenship,''.
(j) Criminal Penalties.--Section 12(2) of such Act (52
U.S.C. 20511(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (D);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(B) in the case of an officer or employee of the
executive branch, providing material assistance to a
noncitizen in attempting to register to vote or vote in an
election for Federal office;
``(C) registering an applicant to vote in an election for
Federal office who fails to present documentary proof of
United States citizenship; or''.
(k) Special Rule for States Not Requiring Voter
Registration.--Section 4 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503), as amended by subsection (b),
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Special Rule for States Not Requiring Voter
Registration.--In the case of a State or jurisdiction that
does not require voter registration as a requirement to vote
in an election for Federal office on or after the date of the
enactment of this subsection, the State or jurisdiction shall
be deemed to meet the requirements of this Act if the State
or jurisdiction establishes a system for confirming the
citizenship of individuals voting in an election for Federal
office prior to the first day for voting with respect to such
election and provides such confirmation of citizenship status
for each eligible voter to election officials at the polling
places during the voting period.''.
(l) Election Assistance Commission Guidance.--Not later
than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Election Assistance Commission shall adopt and transmit to
the chief State election official of each State guidance with
respect to the implementation of the requirements under the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et
seq.), as amended by this section.
(m) Inapplicability of Paperwork Reduction Act.--Subchapter
I of chapter 35 of title 44 (commonly referred to as the
``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply with respect to
the development or modification of voter registration
materials under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
(52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), as amended by this section,
including the development or modification of any voter
registration application forms.
(n) Duty of Secretary of Homeland Security To Notify
Election Officials of Naturalization.--Upon receiving
information that an individual has become a naturalized
citizen of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall promptly provide notice of such

[[Page H2141]]

information to the appropriate chief election official of the
State in which such individual is domiciled.
(o) Rule of Construction Regarding Provisional Ballots.--
Nothing in this section or in any amendment made by this
section may be construed to supercede, restrict, or otherwise
affect the ability of an individual to cast a provisional
ballot in an election for Federal office or to have the
ballot counted in the election if the individual is verified
as a citizen of the United States pursuant to section 8(j) of
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (as added by
subsection (f)).
(p) Rule of Construction Regarding Effect on State
Exemptions From Other Federal Laws.--Nothing in this section
or in any amendment made by this section may be construed to
affect the exemption of a State from any requirement of any
Federal law other than the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).
(q) Exception for Absent Uniformed Services Voters.--The
requirements in this section shall not apply with respect to
an applicant who is an absent uniformed services voter, as
defined in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(1)).
(r) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made
by this section shall take effect on the date of the
enactment of this section, and shall apply with respect to
applications for voter registration which are submitted on or
after such date.

SEC. 3. REQUIRING VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.

(a) Requirement to Provide Photo Identification as
Condition of Casting Ballot.--
(1) In general.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 303 the following new section:

``SEC. 303A. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.

``(a) Provision of Identification Required as Condition of
Casting Ballot.--
``(1) Individuals voting in person.--
``(A) Requirement to provide identification.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as
provided in subparagraph (B), the appropriate State or local
election official may not provide a ballot for an election
for Federal office to an individual who desires to vote in
person unless the individual presents to the official a valid
physical photo identification.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--
``(i) In general.--If an individual does not present the
identification required under subparagraph (A), the
individual shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot
with respect to the election under section 302(a), except
that the appropriate State or local election official may not
make a determination under section 302(a)(4) that the
individual is eligible under State law to vote in the
election unless, not later than 3 days after casting the
provisional ballot, the individual presents to the official--
``(I) the identification required under subparagraph (A);
or
``(II) an affidavit developed and made available to the
individual by the State attesting that the individual does
not possess the identification required under subparagraph
(A) because the individual has a religious objection to being
photographed.
``(ii) No effect on other provisional balloting rules.--
Nothing in clause (i) may be construed to apply to the
casting of a provisional ballot pursuant to section 302(a) or
any State law for reasons other than the failure to present
the identification required under subparagraph (A).
``(2) Individuals voting other than in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law and except as provided in subparagraph (B), the
appropriate State or local election official may not accept
any ballot for an election for Federal office provided by an
individual who votes other than in person unless the
individual submits with the ballot--
``(i) a copy of a valid photo identification; or
``(ii) the last four digits of the individual's Social
Security number and an affidavit developed and made available
to the individual by the State attesting that the individual
is unable to obtain a copy of a valid photo identification
after making reasonable efforts to obtain such a copy.
``(B) Exceptions.--Subparagraph (A) does not apply with
respect to a ballot provided by--
``(i) an absent uniformed services voter, as defined in
section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(1)); or
``(ii) an individual provided the right to vote otherwise
than in person under section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Voting
Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (52 U.S.C.
20102(b)(2)(B)(ii)).''.
``(b) Providing Public Access to Digital Imaging Devices.--
With respect to each State, the appropriate State or local
government official of the State shall ensure, to the extent
practicable, public access to a digital imaging device, which
shall include a printer, copier, image scanner, or
multifunction machine, at State and local government
buildings in the State, including courts, libraries, and
police stations, for the purpose of allowing individuals to
use such a device at no cost to the individual to make a copy
of a valid photo identification.
``(c) Valid Photo Identifications Described.--For purposes
of this section, a `valid photo identification' means, with
respect to an individual who seeks to vote in a State, any of
the following:
``(1) A valid State-issued motor vehicle driver's license
that includes a photo of the individual and an expiration
date.
``(2) A valid State-issued identification card that
includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date
issued by a State motor vehicle authority.
``(3) A valid United States passport for the individual.
``(4) A valid military identification for the individual.
``(5) A valid identification document issued by a Tribal
government that includes a photo of the individual and an
expiration date.
``(d) Notification of Identification Requirement to
Applicants for Voter Registration.--
``(1) In general.--Each State shall ensure that, at the
time an individual applies to register to vote in elections
for Federal office in the State, the appropriate State or
local election official notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section.
``(2) Special rule for individuals applying to register to
vote online.--Each State shall ensure that, in the case of an
individual who applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State online, the online voter
registration system notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section before the
individual completes the online registration process.
``(e) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on
the date of the enactment of this section, and shall apply
with respect to elections for Federal office held on or after
such date.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
303 the following new item:

``Sec. 303A. Photo identification requirements.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Voluntary Guidance by
Election Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act
(52 U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to
section 303A, October 1, 2025.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section
401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking
``sections 301, 302, 303, and 304'' and inserting ``subtitle
A of title III''.
(d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made
by this section shall take effect on the date of the
enactment of this section, and shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office held on or after such date.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, is debatable for 1
hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on House Administration or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.

General Leave

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include additional material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1383, the SAVE America Act. I
thank my colleague, Chip Roy, for his work on this bill, as well as my
colleagues on the Committee on House Administration.
Today, Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to move forward with
election integrity and to regain the trust of the American people in
the way that we operate our elections.
The SAVE America Act has two key principles, both of which are common
sense. The individuals who want to vote in U.S. elections should be
U.S. citizens, and we should have a proof of citizenship when
individuals register to vote. The second principle is that individuals
when they vote show voter ID. Both of these are commonsense principles.
We know there are some on the other side of the aisle who want
noncitizens to vote in our elections. In fact, we could just look at
our Nation's Capital, which allows noncitizens to vote under current
law in municipal elections.
I am of the view that U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only
and that we should be proving that citizenship at the point in time
that an individual registers to vote.
We should also be showing voter ID when we go to vote. This is a
commonsense principle. The American people know that they need to show
photo identification when they board an airplane, open a bank account,
or buy a six-pack of beer.

[[Page H2142]]

I am often reminded of a debate we had at committee, and then I flew
home to my home State of Wisconsin. I went to go buy a six-pack of
beer. The clerk recognized me and said: Hi, Bryan. I said: How are you
doing? She said: I need to see your ID. I handed over my ID. She
confirmed it and allowed me to buy the beer.
I think it is nuts that we protect our beer in this country more than
our ballots in jurisdictions. This is our opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to
change that, to instill significant election integrity.
Before I close, let me say that during this debate today, we are
likely to hear all sorts of comments from my colleagues on the left.
They will make arguments about disenfranchisement. They will use terms
like ``Jim Crow 2.0.'' I remind everyone watching to reflect back on
the same language that was used when Georgia instituted election
integrity provisions in 2021.
We can actually look, because the State of Georgia has operated two
significant elections since then, and voter participation remained
high. The University of Georgia conducted a significant survey to
determine how people experienced the election in the State of Georgia.
What they found was that people had a positive experience in how that
election was conducted across all key demographic groups. The survey
found statistically zero percent of Blacks had a poor or negative
voting experience in the State of Georgia.
Making sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat is a core
principle. As we instill election integrity in our system, we will see
more people participating because they will have faith in our
elections.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 1383,
the SAVE America Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1310

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I stand here not just in strong opposition to this bill but in strong
opposition to recent efforts by this administration to take over,
literally take over American elections--but not just any American
election, this American election, the one that is happening now.
Ballots have already been mailed overseas to military voters for
several State primaries.
I am opposed to this bill and any effort by the President of the
United States to nationalize a Federal election for partisan purposes
because I believe in this country. I ardently, fiercely believe that
the United States, the shining city on a hill, represents the best
humanity has to offer.
I believe the United States should, it must, stand in defense of and
on behalf of every single American. Our Republic was founded on the
simple yet revolutionary idea that our American government derives its
power from the consent of the governed, from the votes of the people.
Yet achieving that idea has required struggle over generations and
generations.
With the Reconstruction Amendments, since the 19th Amendment, America
expanded its right to vote. Americans have defended this right against
efforts to restrict access to the ballot, to pull back from history's
progress.
Congress has repeatedly affirmed and defended the ability for every
American to participate in our elections, including through the passage
of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The principle of government with the consent of the governed is why
we are all here today. The principle is what we swore an oath to
defend, but this Republican majority has made a sharp turn away from
that sacred principle.
This bill which we are considering today represents a betrayal of
every representative principle of this country. Passage of this bill,
support for it from within this Chamber would be a tacit endorsement of
a broader ominous, dangerous agenda.
The SAVE America Act is not an isolated piece of policy. It is part
of a concerted effort by the Republican Party's leadership and this
administration, this President, to centralize partisan power over
American elections, to diminish the authority of American States, to
once again stoke fear and mistrust of immigrants and in our electoral
system, all for the partisan gain of Speaker Johnson and the White
House this November.
Just days ago, President Trump publicly called on Republicans to take
over, to nationalize voting across the country. This is not hyperbole.
This is not hysteria. These are his words.
It should not surprise anyone that the SAVE America Act would require
States to provide sensitive personal voter data to Kristi Noem's
Department of Homeland Security, to send your personal data directly to
the Federal Government, to directly invade your privacy, your family's
privacy.
Why does the President want to send your information to DHS? Why does
he want to take over this election? Why would he advocate for
Republican control of Federal elections, a direct affront to the United
States' Constitution?
Because he knows that without such drastic action, Republicans will
lose the midterm elections in 9 months.
Just look at recent election results in Virginia. I know the
President has. Look at them in New Jersey. Look at them in Texas.
Americans know that everything in this country has gotten more
expensive under this administration, so it should be no surprise that
this bill would make voting more expensive. Passports, which millions
of Americans don't have but would need to register to vote, cost $130.
But beyond the cost, these Republican efforts to nationalize how we
vote have nothing to do with safeguarding our elections. Instead, they
threaten the very fabric of American self-government.
Now, ensuring the integrity of elections is not only legitimate, it
is American. But integrity is achieved through the rule of law, through
adherence to our constitution, through trust in the American people, of
the electorate.
The security of our elections is not advanced, however, by a
Department of Justice under Attorney General Bondi that sends an
extraordinarily extortionate letter to Minnesota officials.
She suggested violence by Federal agents in the Twin Cities would
only end if Minnesota just turned over sensitive voter data to the
Federal Government, violating your privacy, demanding your information
at the barrel of a Border Patrol rifle, the same data the SAVE America
Act would force every State in this Nation to surrender.
This letter, the President's rhetoric, their push for Americans'
personal voter data, none of this can be divorced from the legislative
push we see here today. We all know why.
The SAVE America Act is part of a comprehensive Republican strategy
to cement power this year. Speaker Johnson wants to make it harder for
Americans to vote and easier for Washington Republicans to control how
elections are run.
Let us not forget that elections in this country are administered by
clerks, by secretaries of State, and by commissions and bipartisan
boards chosen by citizens in every single community in America. They
are not run out of the oval office. They are not dictated by partisan
interests.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the SAVE America Act. I
implore them to reject efforts that would centralize control in the
hands of Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, or Kristi Noem over how Americans
vote, over who is allowed to vote.
Most of all, I urge this Chamber to reaffirm its commitment to the
fundamental democratic principles that all eligible citizens should
have the opportunity to participate in free, fair, and secure elections
without unnecessary burdens and without partisan interference.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge defeat of this bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a leader on this legislation and a member of
the Committee on House Administration.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the SAVE America Act ensures
that only American citizens vote in American elections. This should be
the easiest ``yes'' vote this year.
The American people want the SAVE America Act. Mr. Speaker, 83
percent of adults support requiring a photo ID to vote, as do 73
percent of Democrat voters.
Democrat politicians standing here today oppose it, just as they have
opposed every election integrity measure.

[[Page H2143]]

Democrats cannot win on their ideas because their agenda has made
life harder for American families.
The Democratic Party knows that cheating is their only path to
victory. Their goal is to replace the votes of American citizens with
those of illegal aliens.
House Republicans are standing up for the American people here today.
Congress has a responsibility to protect the integrity of our
elections. The SAVE America Act upholds that duty.
I urge my colleagues to listen to the American people and vote
``yes.'' America is watching.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I would ask Mrs. Miller: Do 80 percent of
Americans want the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to have your
personal, private information and data? I think not.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms.
Sewell), a member of the House Administration Committee.
Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to Trump's voter
suppression bill. In recent months, President Trump's attempts to
interfere in the midterm elections have become more brazen and alarming
day by day.
We have seen State legislators redraw maps to benefit Republicans. We
have seen the FBI raid an election office and seize ballots in Georgia.
Most recently, President Trump threatened a Federal takeover of our
election in clear violation of the Constitution.
This week, Trump's efforts to rig the elections have made their way
to Congress where Republicans are pushing this piece of legislation,
which will block millions of voters from casting their ballots.
Let us be clear. This is not a voter ID bill. It is a voter
suppression bill, plain and simple.
This bill is so extreme that even your driver's license would be
insufficient to register to vote. Instead, Americans would be required
to present their birth certificate or their passport.
The reality is that half of Americans do not have a passport. Get
this: This bill also requires States to turn over personal identifiable
information to the Department of Homeland Security, the same Department
whose rogue agents are responsible for the deaths of two American
citizens in Minnesota.

{time} 1320

Here is the truth: Under this bill, tens of millions of eligible
American voters will be blocked from casting their ballots. It is
simply unacceptable and un-American.
The ability of voters to choose their leaders is foundational to our
democracy. It is a freedom that generations of Americans have fought,
bled, and marched for, many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama.
We know that it is so important that we safeguard these important
truths. Our freedom is under assault. Make no mistake, Republicans know
that their policies are failing, that prices are going up, that jobs
are going away, that healthcare is being slashed, and that the American
people are struggling to make ends meet.
Republicans know that they cannot win on the merits, so rather than
changing their policies, they are seeking to change the rules.
John Lewis was not bludgeoned on a bridge in my hometown for the
Republicans and Donald Trump to take these freedoms away from us. This
is a blatant power grab, and Democrats will not stand for it.
Vote ``no'' on this disastrous legislation.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) to speak on the bill.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, the SAVE America Act will block illegal
immigrants and noncitizens from voting.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there being
spread by the media and my friends across the aisle. House Republicans
and President Trump want to protect the ballot box and ensure integrity
in our elections across this great country.
Only U.S. citizens should participate in the election process. The
laws we create in Congress affect all Americans, and Americans should
be the ones who select their leaders.
This SAVE America Act puts in place safeguards, Mr. Speaker, to
prevent noncitizens from abusing our democratic process. United States
citizens should be the people choosing our elected leaders, not illegal
immigrants.
I am not a drinker. Everybody knows that. But I know if I go to
Weigel's in Knoxville, Tennessee, down on the corner of Emory Road and
Tazewell Pike, and I go in there to buy a six-pack or a can of Skoal or
a scratch-off, then I have to produce an ID.
Mr. Speaker, when you purchase a firearm, when you board a plane, and
when you open a bank account, if I put $100 in the bank and right then
ask for $20 of it back, I have to show a dadgum ID.
Why can't you vote for an elected official without one, Mr. Speaker?
This legislation codifies President Trump's executive action to
secure our voter registration process, which has been a key platform of
President Trump this term.
Democrats are lying, Mr. Speaker, saying this bill prevents
minorities from registering to vote. It protects their vote. It
protects every American citizen's vote. It disgusts me, and, frankly, I
find it racist to assume that minorities cannot obtain an ID.
We need to have the guts to stand up and protect our dadgum election,
Mr. Speaker, and that means we need to pass the SAVE America Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for the gentleman from
Tennessee, but I do want to inform him that actually current Federal
law prevents noncitizens from voting in Federal elections, so he may
want to look that up.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California
(Mrs. Torres), who is a member of the Committee on House
Administration.
Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, let's stop pretending the
SAVE America Act is about election security because it is not. This
bill is about power and silencing Americans. Republicans don't want
voting. Thousands of Americans are protesting, demonstrating against
the policies of this administration.
Republicans know that they will lose the midterms.
The President asked them to cancel the election, and guess what, Mr.
Speaker, this bill is the next best thing to that. This is a show-your-
papers mandate to disqualify Americans who oppose their evil agenda.
Americans would have to appear in person and present a passport or
birth certificate just to register, and again, every single time they
update their registration, every time they move, if they get married,
if they get divorced, blah, blah, blah.
Here is whom it will hurt: the more than 140 million Americans who
don't have a passport, including Republicans, by the way.
As many as 69 million women who follow the traditional practice of
changing their name after marriage do not have a birth certificate that
matches their legal name. Republicans know this and want to use that
misinformation to block them from voting.
This bill would eliminate the voter registration methods that over 90
percent of Americans rely on, including online, mail-in, and DMV
registration.
In rural areas, Americans would be forced to drive 7 or 8 hours round
trip just to show documents, and they would have to do it every single
time they move.
When Kansas tried a similar law, 32,000 eligible citizens were
blocked from registering. Zero noncitizens were found because election
officials had already verified their eligibility.
Republicans call this voter ID. This is voter suppression. When they
can't win on ideas, they try to win by blocking the ballot and taxing
our right to vote.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this attack on
our democracy.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Mrs. Luna).
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues are spending a lot of time
lecturing the American people on how this is going to require them to
show their papers. Last time I checked, during COVID they demanded that
if you simply wanted to go to a funeral, be with your loved one
while they are dying, or get married, then you have to show your
papers. In fact, in New York

[[Page H2144]]

City, Mr. Speaker, they were literally asking you for your COVID
passport.

Yet the SAVE America Act, a commonsense piece of legislation that
requires two things, voter ID, plus proof of citizenship, is being
labeled by people in the Senate and people in this very Chamber as Jim
Crow-era laws.
Let me remind the American people of history. It was the Democratic
Party who championed the Jim Crow-era laws. And this is the farthest
thing from it. In fact, Mr. Speaker, if you are doing that, then you
are insulting over 70 percent of your voters, Democrats, who believe
that voter ID is the best way to secure an election.
Then we have the argument that we have from BlueAnons saying that
Trump is trying to steal the election, and orange man bad, and this is
somehow going to fix the midterms. However, the fact is that if we are
going to play that game, then you would want voter ID and you would
want to secure the elections.
So please support this legislation.
I do not believe that Barack Obama in showing his voter ID was
engaging in Jim Crow-era law or pushing that type of perspective. And
for the same people who are advocating saying that Kristi Noem and ICE
will demand your personal information and you will be under
surveillance, might I remind them that they actually all authorized the
reauthorization of FISA, unreformed, that violated our constitutional
rights.
This is pretty simple. If you are not an American, Mr. Speaker, then
you do not get to vote in our elections. This not a free-for-all
country. A majority of Americans support this. A majority of the world
has voter ID in place. It is not racist.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues and the House Administration
Committee for doing this. I support all of my colleagues, and I urge
them to vote for this piece of legislation.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson), who is a fellow member of the House Administration
Committee.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues have said
that this bill, the SAVE America Act, and the constant attempts by
Republicans to clamp down on voter fraud solves a problem that doesn't
exist. I couldn't disagree more.
The problem is that Republicans are losing at the ballot box. They
are losing young voters, voters of color, and women. So there is a
problem, that no one is buying into Republican ideas and policies and
the only solution is for Republicans to engage in a coordinated effort
to silence the American people.
They want to stop people from exercising their most fundamental
constitutional right, the right to vote. The SAVE America Act doesn't
save anything. Instead, it continues to restrict access to the ballot
box, imposing a modern-day poll tax and a dangerous show-your-papers
mandate.
Under this bill, Americans would be required to appear in person or
by mail, just hoping that the elections clerk accepts their
documentation, and present either a passport or a birth certificate to
register to vote, and every single time they want to cast a ballot. A
passport costs $150, and a copy of a birth certificate could cost up to
$60. Many Americans simply can't afford to purchase these documents.
Those requirements constitute a poll tax.
The reality is that one-half of Americans, more than 140 million
citizens, don't have a valid passport, and as many as 69 million women
who have taken their spouse's name do not have a birth certificate
matching their legal name. Because this legislation has a requirement
to show documents, this legislation would eliminate online voter
registration.
I want to be very clear. This is how people give up. They quit trying
to register to vote, and that results in them not voting, and their
voices not being heard. That is the intent of what is going on here.
None of this is about election integrity or protecting the ballot box.
When Republicans come to this floor to talk in front of the cameras,
they say it is about this, but it is blatantly lying to the American
people.
Our job in Congress is to make it easy for people to participate in
our democracy, to make it easy for people to vote and not make it
harder.
The bottom line is simple. The SAVE America Act and the countless
number of other efforts Republicans are pushing will deny millions of
Americans their right to vote.

{time} 1330

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New
York (Ms. Tenney), the founder and chair of the Election Integrity
Caucus.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to first address a comment by the
ranking member, Mr. Morelle. We both hail from New York. He is a dear
friend, but I just want to point out something.
New York City Democrats actually put up a bill to allow noncitizens
to vote in their elections. Our far-left leaning--and I think you can
argue that very easily--Court of Appeals, New York's highest court,
actually turned that down and said: No, only citizens can vote in our
elections. That is New York State law, and that is our national law.
I just want to make sure that that was your response to Mr. Burchett
to make sure you understood that we have addressed this in New York,
and we have established that only citizens can vote. We want to make
sure we secure the ballot and know that citizenship in this country has
value.
There is nothing more profound or important for the preservation of
our constitutional Republic and to keep the power in ``we the people''
than the sacred right to vote.
Democrats have continuously undermined election integrity, sowing the
seeds of mistrust with mail-in ballots, failing to provide ID, not
proving that there is, indeed, one citizen, one vote.
This bill merely requires that you prove that you are a citizen and
that we secure the ballot by knowing that there is one citizen, one
vote.
As the cofounder and the chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, I
would love to see every legal citizen vote in every election. I know I
have as a proud American citizen.
Consider this situation: If you discovered that you had won the
lottery, only to find out that a cartel member had perfectly replicated
your winning lottery ticket and it was worth, let's just say, $200
million, maybe even $50 million, and you went to go turn in your
ticket, but somebody else without a valid ID stole your identity and
took your money, you would probably argue that we should have a valid
voter ID.
I only wish that Americans would value their right to vote, as simple
as it is, and to recognize that important act of voting as important to
preserving our country, our Republic, and keeping power, again, in ``we
the people.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the
gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, a secure valid ID system is the only way to
ensure one citizen/one vote.
I urge all of my colleagues to join the Election Integrity Caucus and
stand for election integrity and make sure that every citizen eligible
to vote votes in every election.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, here we go again. Donald Trump
lost the 2020 election. He is aggrieved about that, and so now he is
peddling claims of fraud as a pretext to take over our elections and
disenfranchise millions.
He tried to extort Minnesota into handing over their voter files.
Fulton County was raided. He has sued Wisconsin and other States for
their voter data. This bill would provide Kristi Noem access to all the
voter files in every State and upend the authority and the independence
of States and counties.
Why? It is so they can rig the elections and save Republicans. We
have to reject the so-called SAVE America Act and save our free and
fair elections and save our democracy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. DesJarlais). Members are reminded to
refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Fine).
Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, sometimes in this room I feel like I am in the
twilight zone. We are hearing that the world is going to end, but
Americans

[[Page H2145]]

need to understand that this bill does two and only two things. By the
way, these are things that we already do in Florida today, and we don't
have issues with our elections.
Number one, it says you have to show a photo ID in order to vote.
This is something that people overwhelmingly support because we have to
do it in every aspect of our lives.
Second, it says you should have to prove you are a citizen in order
to register.
Now, the argument that is made against these things is it is somehow
racist to require them. What I find repulsive about that argument is it
is racist to imply that minority communities somehow don't have the
ability to go and get a photo ID, somehow don't have documentation to
prove that they are an American. I have talked to my constituents about
this, and they are aghast at the idea that anyone would make this
claim.
Now, look, this is a real issue. In Florida, I worked on a bill when
I was in the legislature where people would call who had been
accidentally put on jury duty and say: Hey, I don't know how I got
registered to vote, but I am not an American. We had to take them off
jury duty. Democrats opposed our efforts even there to clean up the
rolls.
There is nothing we have more important to do here than to make sure
that Americans are confident in our elections and the results that they
achieve, particularly with the kind of heated rhetoric that we say
here.
Why do they oppose it? There is one simple reason: It is because they
want to cheat. We pass this bill, we clean up our elections, and we
make sure that Americans can have confidence in not only what we do
here but in the elections that we are going to have this November.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to say my distinguished colleague from Florida
conveniently left out one part of what this bill does, which is to
share your personal, private data with the Department of Homeland
Security.
From this point forward, if this bill were to become law, every
single person, when they register to vote, all their data will be sent
to the Department of Homeland Security--not the department of
elections, not some other department that has control over the election
process--the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, whose
people have now killed American citizens on American streets.
If that is what Americans want--I am pretty sure Americans do not
want that. Somehow the gentleman forgot to mention that that is what
this bill does.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa).
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, in California when you register to vote, you
do so under penalty of perjury. Then they cross-check your information
to make sure that you are eligible. Then we have a very active district
attorney in Orange County that says if you violated this under penalty
of perjury, we are going down on you.
Instead, I would ask my friends, my colleagues on the other side of
the aisle: Let's do everything we can to make sure that every eligible
American actually votes.
Why would you take away the right of a veteran to vote, of a senior
to vote, of somebody in the military to vote? Let's go the other way.
Democracy is stronger when we have stronger participation. Vote
``no,'' and let's move on with democracy.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Rose).
Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the SAVE America
Act because nothing matters more than securing our elections. Our
Republic depends on it.
Free, fair, and honest elections unmoored by fraud or suspicion are
fundamental to our constitutional Republic. The right of citizens to
have their votes properly counted without illegal dilution is vital to
determining the rightful winner.
This legislation is straightforward. It requires proof of citizenship
for voter registration and voter ID for Federal elections. It ensures
only American citizens participate in American elections and provides
States with tools to determine and verify the citizenship and maintain
accurate voter rolls.
There is only one reason not to pass this, and we all know what that
is. Some in this Chamber oppose anything that interferes with their
effort to control elections and consolidate power.
Congressional Democrats sat silent as the Biden administration
allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the United States. I fear
the intention was to garner votes. However, my colleagues across the
aisle now have an opportunity to prove me wrong by supporting this
widely popular legislation.
The SAVE America Act reinforces that voting is a right only of
citizens, not just anyone within our borders. Opposition to this act
makes sense in that context, but that is precisely why we must pass it.
We have a duty to the American people to preserve their voice,
protect their vote, and secure their sovereignty, and we must save the
Republic from forces that would undermine our most sacred democratic
institution. I urge my colleagues to pass the SAVE America Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do think the only people in America who are confused
about American citizens being the only people voting in Federal
elections are my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I think
most Americans get that, which is why we see no evidence of the
widespread fraud that they keep talking about, talking about a solution
desperately in search of a problem.
I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms.
Williams).

{time} 1340

Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the SAVE America Act is back
before the House today, and right along with it is yet another attempt
at voter suppression. It is no coincidence that this is happening right
before the midterm elections.
In January, the FBI raided the Fulton County election office, my home
county, where I am a voter. That raid was a bold attempt to intimidate
voters in the Fighting Fifth.
The SAVE America Act is just another part of a scheme by House
Republicans and the Trump administration to take over our elections.
Atlanta's civil rights leaders, like my predecessor, the late
Congressman John Lewis, faced one of the bloodiest battles over our
right to vote.
The SAVE America Act will make it harder for millions of Americans to
get registered to vote by requiring in-person registration at election
offices--government offices with government hours. This is a burden for
caregivers and any hardworking American with a 9-to-5 job.
The SAVE America Act is an unfunded mandate to silence voters. The
goal of this bill is voter suppression, plain and simple.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this terrible
bill.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the House majority leader, to speak on the
bill.
Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, ``let the good times roll''; ``laissez les
bons temps rouler.''
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Wisconsin for yielding, and I
thank Chip Roy for bringing the SAVE America Act to the House floor.
This is a bill that is critically important to one of the most
precious franchises in America, and that is the sacred right to vote,
the right that so many gave their lives to preserve, to allow to pass
on to our next generation.
The importance of that vote is even more underscored when you
recognize that, yes, there have been times where people have stolen
your vote, Mr. Speaker. That veteran who was talked about deserves the
right to vote. If somebody votes illegally, Mr. Speaker, they are
stealing that veteran's vote. They are stealing your vote. They are
stealing everybody's votes if we allow people who aren't legally
eligible to vote to participate in elections.
How can you best preserve that? One way is that, when you are
registering to vote, you have to prove citizenship. It is in this bill.
Another way is when you go to vote, you just have to show your ID.
This is not some convoluted idea, Mr. Speaker. You hear the other
side talking about it as the end of the world.

[[Page H2146]]

Their own leaders have referred to it as ``Jim Crow.''
It is not the first time that they have used that phrase. They used
that when the State of Georgia put an ID requirement on voting. They
said it was going to be horrible and take away people's rights. It was
going to disenfranchise minority voters, Mr. Speaker. That is what they
said, but then what happened? We have actually got history to go look
at.
After Georgia passed that law that was called every ridiculous name
in the book, what we saw was record participation in elections. You
actually had the University of Georgia that went and asked voters after
that election, and a whopping zero percent, Mr. Speaker, of Black
voters said they had a poor experience going to the ballot. Over 72
percent said they had an excellent experience at the ballot. Then, you
could go further.
By the way, the American people get this. They understand that there
are examples of voter fraud. I come from a State where our elections
commissioner went to jail--yes, went to Federal prison--for stealing
elections. We cleaned up our election system in our State. We have seen
an increase in voter participation.
Why? Again, they would tell you if you actually increased the
integrity of elections by requiring picture ID that somehow it is going
to suppress votes, but the opposite happens, Mr. Speaker. What really
does happen is that voters now have confidence in the sanctity of
elections. More people will participate because they know that somebody
is not going to be stealing their vote by showing up when they are not
supposed to be there, just by requiring a picture ID.
Americans have been asked about this. An overwhelming 83 percent of
Americans are in favor of requiring a photo ID to vote. That is not
Republicans. That is all across the spectrum. Over 70 percent of
Democrats support picture ID, 82 percent of Hispanic Americans support
picture ID to vote, and 76 percent of Black Americans support a picture
ID to vote.
If they still want to lie to people on the other side, Mr. Speaker,
if they still want to try to scare people and talk about Jim Crow, then
you might want to ask those same people why the Democratic Party at
their convention just in 2024 required photo ID to get in. You couldn't
get into the Democratic convention without showing a photo ID. If they
want to call it Jim Crow, they need to look in the mirror, Mr. Speaker.
If you want to ensure the sanctity of the vote, the SAVE America Act
does that. You will see higher participation because Americans across
all spectrums--Black, White, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat,
Independent--will know that there is a higher likelihood that nobody
there is showing up illegally to steal your vote if you have the right
to vote.
One person, one vote--that is the mantra that we all ought to
embrace. The SAVE America Act gets us back to that great franchise of
American democracy, and that is the right to vote.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everybody to pass this bill over to the Senate
and then the Senate to get it to President Trump's desk so we can
strengthen American democracy.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 12\3/4\
minutes remaining.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will comment that we have heard repeatedly that one
person who is a non-U.S. citizen voting is too many. I agree. We have
laws to prevent it. How many people is it okay to deny, U.S. citizens,
who want to participate in the right to vote? To me, that would be the
greater evil.
We have 80 million Americans--voter-eligible U.S. citizens--who
didn't vote in the last Presidential election. Isn't that astonishing?
It is a big number, so it is hard to get your head around it. Eighty
million Americans didn't participate.
I am not saying that is anyone's fault, but I am saying this: Our
committee and our House should be focused on how we increase voter
participation. How do we make it so that more people feel as though
they should engage?
That is the only way we will get to the true promise of American
democracy, when all 244 million Americans who are U.S. citizens
participate in our elections. We should be doing everything we can to
make it easy for those people. It is their God-given right, an
inalienable right, as we often say.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs.
Ramirez).
Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, as I hear my colleagues on the other side
of the aisle, what I hear is the same racist, misogynistic trash,
different decade.
Republicans are invoking historical policies intended, let's be
clear, to disenfranchise Americans, especially working people, women,
students, indigenous people, and anyone who can't afford the burden of
a new bill.
The SAVE America Act is yet another Republican attempt to intimidate
and suppress the votes of anyone who threatens their extremist, white
supremacist agenda.
Don't take my word for it. Just look for the threats that surround
the polls, the gun-wielding masked men. It will become clear to you
that Trump and Republicans want to control who votes so they can remain
in power.
That is not democracy. That is destroying free, fair elections. It is
just another page from the authoritarian playbook, and we must have the
moral clarity in this place to stand against it, just like our
ancestors did.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill and to
vote with moral clarity.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 14\3/4\
minutes remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).

{time} 1350

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong and
unapologetic support of the SAVE America Act, legislation that defends
the integrity of our elections and makes one principle perfectly clear:
U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only.
This is not extreme. It is common sense. Citizenship matters.
Sovereignty matters. Americans alone must decide America's future.
Yet radical Democrats have abandoned the standard. New York City has
allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections. Washington, D.C., has
done the same, granting political power to foreign nationals in the
Capital of our Nation.
Georgia's own Senator John Ossoff, who once said that voter ID was
right and appropriate, now supports his party reframing it as voter
suppression.
The law didn't change. Public opinion didn't change. What changed was
he and other Democrat politicians like him realized that illegal
immigrants could no longer vote to keep Democrats in office.
They oppose this bill because it chips away at their voting base,
plain and simple. For years, conservatives warned that this was the
radical left's goal, and we were mocked for it.
That is exactly what Democrats are doing right now, fighting to allow
illegal aliens to vote. This is not only grotesquely unjust, but it
waters down the meaning of American citizenship.
Mr. Speaker, by passing this bill, we reaffirm a simple but sacred
truth. American elections belong to Americans, no loopholes, no
exceptions, no apologies.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Bell).
Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, we are debating this bill because Donald Trump
is still trying to overturn an election that he lost 6 years ago. Some
in this body are helping him do it.
The SAVE America Act is built on the lie that the 2020 election was
stolen. That lie has been investigated, litigated, audited, and
debunked over and over again. Instead of accepting reality, the authors
of this bill are using that lie as an excuse to take control of our
elections. This is not on the level.
Let's be honest about where this is coming from. It is coming from
the President himself. We are being asked to trust Donald Trump and his
allies about elections while he is actively trying to subvert them.
That is dangerous, and Congress should not be a willing partner in it.

[[Page H2147]]

Mr. Speaker, our democracy does not need a takeover. It needs truth,
and this bill has none of it.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Harris).
Mr. HARRIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, what do airplanes, Costco,
alcohol, tobacco, entering a nightclub, and opening a checking account
all have in common? We have to show our ID.
We require identification for everyday activities. Why on Earth would
we not require it for something as sacred as determining the future of
this Republic?
When the SAVE America Act becomes the law of the land, three simple
things will be true:
Number one, everyone who shows up to vote in a Federal election will
have to show their photo ID.
Number two, States will only register American citizens to vote in
Federal elections.
Number three, States will actually have to remove noncitizens from
the voter rolls.
Every American--Republican, Democrat, or unaffiliated--wants to know
that their vote counts and is not canceled out by someone who is here
illegally. This bill ensures just that.
The right to vote is precious, and the SAVE Act restores confidence,
strengthens integrity, and protects the voice of every lawful American
citizen. I am confident my colleagues in the House will do the right
thing and vote to secure our elections.
I now address my colleagues in the Senate.
Save America. Bring this bill to the Senate floor to debate. They
should own their position in front of the American people. They must
use every tool at their disposal, including the talking filibuster, to
ensure that this bill makes it to the President Trump's desk.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot delay securing our elections and defending our
Republic.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, one other thing States are required to do
is States would be forced to give our personal information to the
Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Mr. Speaker, that creates
great, great concern for Members on this side of the aisle and I think
the vast majority of American citizens.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Subramanyam).
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the so-
called SAVE America Act.
The supporters of this bill claim that undocumented immigrants are
overrunning our elections and voting in droves, but I will give an
example of the reality.
We actually did a study in Virginia of all the election
irregularities over 20 years. How many instances of noncitizens voting
do my colleagues think we found? We found zero. Another study found it
was pretty much nonexistent between 1999 and 2023 in the United States.
They are solving a problem that does not exist.
What this bill does do is it creates other problems that make it
harder to vote. It undermines our democracy. It makes it harder for
military voters who move a lot. It makes it harder for families
impacted by natural disasters who lose documents. It makes it harder
for the nearly 70 million women who have changed their name after
marriage and have a birth certificate that no longer matches their
voter IDs. It also makes it harder for the half of Americans who don't
have passports.
The President claims that this is just an attempt to secure our
elections. But let's be real. This is just another attempt to tilt the
electoral deck in his favor.
If we want to make elections safer, we should stop threatening to
nationalize elections. Stop threatening to have ICE at voting
locations. Why don't we save America from this bill and vote ``no.''

Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington), the chairman of the Budget Committee.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend from Wisconsin for
yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, there is not a better example of political expediency
than my Democrat colleagues opposing a voter ID law on the grounds of
States' rights.
First, the Constitution is clear. Rules for running elections have
been delegated to the States. But in that same provision, the
Constitution says Congress may at any time alter the process. I
certainly think our Founding Fathers would support strengthening the
integrity of our elections.
Democrats know this, Mr. Speaker. They must think the American
people, though, have forgotten about their for the politicians act in
the 117th Congress, where they basically codified a COVID-era and
fraud-ridden election law. They included, ironically, prohibiting voter
ID essentially. It also included ballot harvesting, promoting mass
voting by mail, and taking taxpayer dollars to fund political
campaigns.
Let's be clear. Democrats believe Congress has the power to ban voter
ID but not the power to require it. This shouldn't be controversial.
Requiring proof of citizenship to register and a valid voter ID is as
common sense as it gets.
Mr. Speaker, American elections are for American citizens. I urge a
``yes'' vote on the SAVE America Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 8\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to just correct one thing. We certainly care
about States' rights. We understand what the Constitution says. What I
am really concerned about is people's rights.
Every American should understand this. I am going to say this again.
The SAVE America Act requires States to surrender to DHS every
American's entire information on the voter rolls. This is their private
and personal voter information.
The SAVE America Act is a clear attempt to nationalize elections by
involving Kristi Noem and the Department of Homeland Security, the
rogue department, into our elections.
I would ask people to go up and down their streets. Knock on doors.
Ask how many of their neighbors think that is a good idea.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the Democratic whip.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear here.
Republicans aren't worried about noncitizens voting. They are afraid of
actual American citizens voting. Why? It is because they are losing.
Among women they are losing by 10 points in the upcoming midterms
because losing is what happens when my colleagues tell people they are
going to tackle the high cost of living, and they turn around and hike
their healthcare premiums. They hike grocery costs. Also, billionaires
can weasel out of paying their fair share.
They are trying to say this is a voter ID bill. That is not what is
happening here.
Let's just look at a typical mom. My colleagues on the other side of
the aisle must know some working mothers.
The ones I hear from across my district and across this country are
struggling to put food on the table for their kids. They work two jobs
to try and make ends meet. They are trying to juggle getting their kids
to school and maybe catch an occasional game. They fear they will never
find childcare they can afford. They pray nobody in the family gets
sick because they can't afford a doctor either.

{time} 1400

Mr. Speaker, Republicans are going to say to those women that because
they got married and changed their names, they have to go down to a
clerk and prove that they are citizens, sign affidavits, and do this in
person.
This is a minefield of red tape that the majority has put in front of
women and American citizens and their right to vote.
Thanks to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace), the so-
called champion of women and safe places, this bill will now go into
effect immediately, which means that primaries that are weeks from now,
all of these people are going to be met with the fact that they didn't
have time or know that they had to prove their citizenship.

[[Page H2148]]

Good luck voting, ladies.
As a kicker, the bill mandates that every State turn over their voter
rolls to DHS and Kristi Noem.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is an outrage. This is election rigging. This
is voter suppression.
The American people aren't going to stand for it, and nobody should
vote for it.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1383,
the SAVE America Act, which I am proud to cosponsor and hope will pass
the House floor today.
I also note that I think it is shockingly racist and sexist for my
colleagues on the other side to believe that we are not smart enough to
figure out how to get IDs. I can assure my colleagues that we are, even
if we get married.
The SAVE America Act requires individuals to provide documented proof
of U.S. citizenship along with a valid photo ID when registering to
vote. This commonsense legislation strengthens election integrity
through practical measures, including voter ID requirements and
safeguards to prevent noncitizens from voting.
The SAVE America Act is particularly important as we continue to
address the consequences of the Biden-Harris border crisis, which led
to millions of individuals entering the country unlawfully.
Secure elections are fundamental to maintaining public confidence in
our democratic process. The State of Wyoming has already taken steps to
implement many of the reforms outlined in this bill, demonstrating that
securing our elections must be a national priority.
I thank the bill's sponsors, Representative Roy and Senator Lee, as
well as Chairman Steil, for their leadership on this critical issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of
the SAVE America Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Ms. Hageman), but I guarantee that American women are smart,
and we believe that. They will be smart enough to see that the legal
hurdles and burdens being put in place in front of them by this
legislation are not only unnecessary but incredibly burdensome and are
an attempt to make their lives so much more difficult.
Mr. Speaker, I do just make a comment. Late last night, the
Republicans offered a manager's amendment that would move up several of
the effective dates in this bill, which was supposed to take effect in
2027. I think it bears noting that if this bill becomes law, it will
now be effective immediately. This amendment was offered initially by
our colleague, the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace). Chairman
Steil took the mantle of it.
I am sure that the members of this committee know that Arkansas,
Texas, Illinois, Mississippi, and North Carolina all have March
primaries. In fact, many of the UOCAVA ballots for these primaries have
already been mailed to Americans overseas. How are election
administrators in these States even supposed to begin to comply with a
new Federal law that takes effect in the middle of voting? This is,
quite frankly, election malpractice. It shouldn't be before us.
Yesterday, the Committee on House Administration heard from a former
executive director of North Carolina's voting who called this effective
date unworkable. I think that sums it up well.
This is a mistake. It is a mistake in so many different ways.
Mr. Speaker, I just say one other thing because I have heard a lot
about this now. There is not one person on this side of the aisle who
thinks that non-U.S. citizens should be participating in American
elections. Not one. Not one has said it, despite the repeated
allegations that that is the case.
I do ask: Are congressional Republicans okay with masked Federal
agents hiding their faces and hiding their badge numbers from the
American public while forcing American citizens to turn over their
addresses to Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security?
I suspect not.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fine). The gentleman from Wisconsin has
8\3/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) to speak on the bill.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, how is this even a serious debate? Think
about what my colleagues on the other side are saying today.
They are saying that American minorities are not capable of showing
an ID to vote. It is an insult. It is abusive. In reality, 76 percent
of Black Americans support voter ID in poll after poll, and 82 percent
of Latino Americans support voter ID in poll after poll.
What the left is saying is that they don't trust the American people
to prove who they really are. Americans show an ID to board a plane.
Americans show an ID to drive a car. Americans show an ID to open a
bank account. Americans show an ID to enter Federal buildings and for a
host of other reasons.

Of course we should expect it for American elections. It doesn't
silence voters. It empowers voters. It only ensures that Americans are
voting in American elections. For God's sake, why would anybody be
opposed to that? Think about it.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bean) to speak on the bill.
Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the SAVE America Act, to show
an ID before you cast your ballot.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard on the other side of the aisle in this very
debate that it is already illegal to cast a ballot when you are not
eligible to vote. It is already illegal. We don't need another law.
Mr. Speaker, it is already illegal for a minor to purchase alcohol.
Yet the clerk says: Please show me your ID.
America is hungry for fair elections. I don't think it is too much to
ask that we show an ID to restore election integrity. Let's give
America what they want.
For all those who say that it is too much to ask to show an ID, I say
that it is nonsense. One citizen, one vote is the foundation of our
Republic.
Mr. Speaker, let me go ahead and do the math for you and everybody in
this room. One illegal vote is one too many. Let's pass the SAVE
America Act now, and let's save voter integrity and voter elections
right now.
Let's do it, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I note that it has been a vigorous debate, and I
continue to argue that this bill, in the strongest terms, should not be
passed.
I just note, particularly for Members who spoke here today, for
instance, in my dear friend Chairman Steil's district, 165,000 women in
his district have a different name on their birth certificate than on
their current photo ID, and 346,000 residents of Wisconsin's First
District lack a passport. It would cost them nearly $45 million for
those people to purchase a passport.
For the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), 150,000 women in her
district have a different name on their birth certificate, and 414,000
residents in her district lack a passport. It would cost them $53
million.
For Mr. Burchett's district, 176,000 women have a different name on
their birth certificate, and 390,000 residents don't have a passport,
which would cost them $50.8 million.
Mrs. Luna has 170,000 women in her district who have different names
on their birth certificates than on their photo IDs, and 319,000 of her
residents lack a passport. It would cost $41 million to purchase that
for all of them.
Ms. Tenney has 145,000 women in her district who have a different
name on their birth certificate and 420,000 residents without a
passport. It would cost them $54 million.
Mr. Speaker, you have an estimated 170,000 women with a different
name on

[[Page H2149]]

their birth certificate, and 397,000 residents lack a passport.
The list goes on and on. That is the impact of this.

{time} 1410

Here is the truth, Mr. Speaker: President Trump wants to take over
American elections this November to maintain his tenuous grip on power.
Republicans have a singular purpose in supporting the SAVE America
Act: helping the President get what he wants. That is what they are
always about: helping the President get what he wants, not the American
people. Republicans are falling over each other to help Donald Trump
nationalize the 2026 midterm elections.
Don't take my word for it. This is what the President is trying to
do. He says it. He always says the quiet part out loud. He said:
``We''--meaning the Republicans--``We want to take over. We should take
over the voting in at least 15 places. The Republicans ought to
nationalize the voting.'' That is what the President said.
That is why this bill forces States to surrender your personal,
private information to the Department of Homeland Security, to the
Department that has unleashed ICE brutality on the streets of America
against American citizens.
The bill is so extreme that even a Republican Senator said this week
that she opposes it, calling it Federal overreach.
In response, in just a moment, I will offer a motion to commit. This
motion to commit would send this bill to committee with an instruction
to strip the provision that gives your address, your personal
information, to the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the text of my amendment to the
motion to commit.

Mr. Morelle of New York moves to commit the bill S. 1383 to
the Committee on House Administration with instructions to
report the same back to the House forthwith with the
following amendment:
Page 15, strike line 17 and all that follows through page
16, line 9.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I warn Republicans that a vote against this
motion to commit is a vote to send American citizens' data to the
Department of Homeland Security. A vote against this MTC is a vote to
put Kristi Noem and Donald Trump and ICE and the Department of Justice
in charge of the midterm elections this fall.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all to vote ``yes'' on the motion to commit
because Kristi Noem should not control our elections. Donald Trump
should not control our elections. We, the American people, the people
of the United States, control our elections.
Mr. Speaker, I urge defeat of the main motion and support of the
motion to commit, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 6\1/4\
minutes remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let's bring this debate to its close. The questions
before Members of the House of Representatives are very clear. One, do
you think individuals should be U.S. citizens and prove that when they
register to vote? Yes or no? Two, should individuals going to vote need
to present voter ID upon arrival at the polls? Yes or no?
If you believe, like I do, in a commonsense proposal to make sure
that only U.S. citizens are registering to vote and that people are who
they say they are when they go to the polls, you should vote ``yes.''
The answer to this is easy. It is common sense. It is why it is
popular. Let's make sure we reinstall integrity in our elections.
For the record, let me just clear up a few misconceptions that our
colleagues on the left have tried time and time again to bring.
First, are noncitizens voting in U.S. elections? We know what the
Democratic playbook is. We only have to look here in our Nation's
Capital, where noncitizens under current law are allowed to vote in
municipal elections. We know our Democratic colleagues want noncitizens
to vote in U.S. elections. It is why making sure that we are ensuring
individuals who are registering to vote, in particular for Federal
elections, are U.S. citizens.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle bring up the married
woman argument. As you may know, Mr. Speaker, I am engaged and going to
be married in a few weeks from now. My fiancee is planning to change
her name, move to the great State of Wisconsin, and register to vote.
She and countless other individuals will have no problem registering
under this bill. You can bring forward your identification. You can
sign an attestation if you don't have the documentation.
We want to make sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. We
could look at our committee hearing that we had just this week where we
brought in the secretary of state of Wyoming, which has strong election
integrity provisions. We asked the gentleman on the record, the
secretary of state. Wyoming has delivered and shown the American people
that you can implement citizenship verification and photo
identification without the problems, without the hyperbole that we
continue to hear on the left.
We heard hyperbole as it relates to information being shared with
DHS' SAVE database. They only offer the first part, that it goes to
DHS. Why? Read the bill. It is actually to check if individuals who are
on the voter rolls in States across the country are citizens of the
United States. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't want
to check the voter rolls to determine if an individual is a citizen of
the United States. It should leave you with a great question as to why
they are concerned.
We should be checking and cleaning up the voter rolls and removing
individuals who are not eligible to vote. Every citizen deserves the
right to vote. One individual who is ineligible to vote is one too many
because it casts out the vote of a legal United States citizen.
Finally, we hear arguments against voter ID. This is a core,
commonsense principle. My colleague, Mr. Bean, brought up the example
that it is illegal for an underage individual to purchase a beer, but
as you go to buy a beer, you get asked for your ID. As I said earlier,
I think it is absolutely nuts that we protect our beer more than our
ballots in jurisdictions across this country.
If you are like me and think that we should have voter ID, vote
``yes'' on the SAVE America Act. This is our opportunity, Mr. Speaker,
to take a major step forward in election integrity, making sure that
U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only and making sure that people
are who they say they are by checking voter ID when individuals go to
vote. It is a commonsense proposal.
The American people will get to see where their Member stands, and I
encourage every Member of this Chamber to vote ``yes'' on the SAVE
America Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1057, the previous question is ordered
on the bill, as amended.
The question is on the third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be read a third time, and was read the third
time.

Motion to Commit

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to commit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to commit.
The Clerk read as follows:

Mr. Morelle of New York moves to commit the bill S. 1383 to
the Committee on House Administration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to commit.
The question is on the motion to commit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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