[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1061-S1063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            SAVE America Act

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about 
the SAVE America Act. I support the SAVE America Act. I believe that 
anybody that votes in an American election needs to be an American 
citizen, and I believe that anyone who shows up to vote needs to 
present a photo ID to prove they are who they say they are.
  Free and fair elections are the foundation of our Nation. It is the 
250th anniversary this year of our founding. Voting here is about 
American citizens voting. And without strong protections, this 
foundation of 250 years will crumble.
  The American people are clear. They believe American elections should 
be decided by American citizens, not by illegal immigrants.
  Listen to the Democrats talk. They think it is fine, let any illegal 
immigrant vote. You heard from the minority leader yesterday in terms 
of what we want to do to protect the rights of American citizens to 
make sure the elections are free and fair. When illegal immigrants 
vote, the voice of American citizens is undermined.
  The fact is, Joe Biden's open border policies undermined elections in 
this country. Under Joe Biden and the Democrats, over 10 million 
illegal immigrants flooded into our country, to communities all across 
the State. Now, Democrats want to make it possible for illegal 
immigrants to decide the outcome of elections in this Nation.
  Democrats are once again prioritizing illegal immigrants and illegal 
immigrant criminals over American citizens, and that is what they have 
been doing. That is why we are in the situation we are in, with a 
shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security and why, specifically, 
today we are on the floor to talk about the SAVE America Act.
  Many far-left sanctuary cities already make it easier for illegal 
immigrants to vote. They have set it up that way because in 19 States 
and in the District of Columbia, illegal immigrants can get a driver's 
license with no proof of citizenship whatsoever.
  I am against it. I have opposed it from the beginning when the first 
State proposed it, and now, 19 States and the District do it. In 
California, in Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, DC, noncitizens are 
allowed to vote in local elections. I think that is wrong.
  It is a felony for illegal immigrants to vote in Federal elections; 
yet we know it is happening.
  Last week, the Department of Homeland Security arrested a criminal 
illegal immigrant from Africa. He entered the Nation illegally over 20 
years ago. He was ordered to be deported in 2002. He first registered 
to vote in 2005, and he has been voting in Federal elections since 
2008.
  Most recently, this illegal immigrant voted in the 2024 election. He 
voted in the State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a swing State. It 
was won by tight margins in both the Presidential and the Senate races.
  He should have never been allowed to vote in the United States, and 
this should never be allowed to happen.
  Now, the SAVE America Act protects the vote of every single American 
citizen. What it says is simple: If you want to vote in the United 
States of America, you need to be a citizen of the United States of 
America, and you need to show a photo ID at the poll in order to vote. 
It is common sense.
  Americans show ID every single day. You want to buy a beer? You need 
to show an ID. You want to get on a plane? You need to show a photo ID.
  I have people here in the Gallery from Wyoming--students from 
Burlington and their teachers, optometrists from around the State of 
Wyoming. They are all flying back to Wyoming. Every one of them is 
going to have to show a photo ID to get on the plane.
  If you want to cash a check, you need to show a photo ID. Voting 
should be equally important to show a photo ID.
  It should be no different than all these other things. Photo IDs 
protect against voter fraud, and they prevent illegal immigrants from 
voting.
  Most importantly, it tells each American citizen that their vote 
counts and their vote matters, and it is not going to be watered down 
by people who are not citizens of the United States.
  American voters in 36 States, including Wyoming, already show an ID 
in order to vote in elections. We do have voter ID laws in Wyoming. And 
getting a voter ID is actually free, no cost involved.
  So the SAVE America Act that we are going to be discussing and voting 
on today builds on current, commonsense laws that work in so many 
States. It makes it easy to vote, and it makes it harder to cheat in 
every State across the country.
  Every Democrat ought to be supporting this, but none of them do. Why 
do Democrats in this Chamber oppose showing an ID to vote? I think the 
minority leader is opposed because--in his words--he says it ``allows 
ICE to kick tens of millions of people off the voter rolls.'' That is 
who the Democrats are fighting for--illegal immigrant voting. Not for 
American citizens, not for the rights of the American people to govern 
our own Nation--no, he is talking about tens of millions of people off 
the voter rolls.
  How did they get on the voter rolls in the first place if they are 
not citizens? Well, it is automatic voter drives and when people sign 
up for a motor vehicle license, a driver's license. A number of States 
have automatic voter registration connected to it. So you get a 
license, and even if you are illegal, you can be signed up to vote. 
Certain States are in the process of having to try to figure out how 
they went wrong and what they need to do to correct it for Federal 
offices. Oregon State is in the middle of it right now.

[[Page S1062]]

  If it is true that there are tens of millions of people on the voter 
rolls that Chuck Schumer talked about that ICE would remove because 
they are not citizens on the voter rolls, how bad does it have to get? 
If that is the case, this situation is much worse than most Americans 
fear.
  What we hear from the minority leader saying that this is Jim Crow 
2.0--that is fearmongering, and he knows it.
  One of our Democratic colleagues will be on this floor later today 
from the State of Georgia. He requires anybody that wants to show up at 
one of his campaign rallies to show a photo ID to get in. Apparently, 
you need to show a photo ID to get into a Georgia campaign rally for a 
Democrat, and he doesn't want you to have to show one to vote. I guess 
he doesn't want illegal immigrants at his rallies, but it is OK if they 
vote for him.
  It is astonishing. Why do Democrats support showing a photo ID to 
attend a political rally and oppose it to vote in an election?
  Look, what is clear to all of us is that Democrats oppose elections 
that limit participations to just American citizens. They don't like 
that idea. And they are likely to line up one after another today to 
vote to say: Nope, don't check the ID with a photo on it in order to 
vote because we want to cram as many people as we can with their 
ballots into the ballot box to be counted, no matter where they are 
from.
  Democrats said the same thing after the State of Georgia enacted 
voter ID laws in 2021. What were the results? Well, more people 
actually voted, not fewer. Turnout hit record levels. The lines moved 
faster than ever before. The Democrats say it was an impediment.
  Voter ID is important.
  Democrats' voter suppression lies have been thoroughly debunked time 
and time again. Yet they continue to repeat them. Voter ID and 
citizenship proof are safeguards for our elections; they are not 
restrictions.
  The SAVE America Act is how we make elections safe, secure, and a 
true reflection of the American people. Every American should desire 
that American elections be decided by American citizens. Who wouldn't? 
Well, somebody that wants to load up the ballots with people who may 
vote for them, whether they are citizens or not.
  Every Member of the Senate should support the SAVE America Act. By 
opposing this bill, Democrats are once again putting illegal immigrants 
ahead of American voters, and Republicans are going to make sure that 
every voter in America and every citizen voter in America knows which 
side of that issue people stand on--photo ID and citizenship or not.
  The Republicans are here to say it is important that only citizens 
vote and people prove who they are by showing a photo ID when they go 
to the ballot box.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, soon, the Senate will debate a bill. The 
bill is called the SAVE America Act.
  The policies in this bill have the support of more than 80 percent of 
Americans. Some of my colleagues say that the SAVE America Act isn't 
necessary. They are wrong. There are two fundamental, commonsense 
reasons as to why 80 percent of Americans support the policies of this 
legislation.
  No. 1, only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in our elections. So 
this bill simply requires Americans to show proof of citizenship when 
they register to vote.
  No. 2, it requires a photo ID when voting. This helps to ensure the 
person who is registered to vote in that election is the person who is 
actually casting that ballot.
  The SAVE America Act would give voters peace of mind that Federal 
elections are conducted fair and square. It would give voters peace of 
mind that their vote isn't diluted by people who are not eligible to 
vote.
  I am a cosponsor of the SAVE America Act. I support free, 
transparent, and accurate elections. Every American deserves the 
absolute confidence that there is no funny business distorting election 
outcomes.
  Let me tell you about the track record in my home State of Iowa.
  Voter ID laws in my State have been successful and well received 
since the passage in 2017. Iowa's voter turnout increased in the 2018 
mid-term elections, and turnout has continued to remain very strong. So 
the proof is in the pudding.
  Iowa's track record demonstrates voter ID improves the integrity and 
security of our elections. It also enhances voter turnout and boosts 
public confidence in the outcomes of elections.
  Nearly a century ago, a Supreme Court Justice said that States are 
the ``laboratories of democracy.'' Guess what. Iowa has shown voter ID 
laws work. They don't impede voter turnout, as Iowa has shown. Voter ID 
boosts the public trust. In fact, according to the National Conference 
of State Legislatures, 36 States have voter ID laws on the books. This 
bill would apply a minimum Federal standard much like other Federal 
voting laws.
  Partisan critics of this commonsense bill are misleading the public 
with bad information. This bill would not make it harder to vote. 
Americans ought to be insulted by the arguments being made on the other 
side of the aisle.
  I am confident Americans are capable of bringing a photo ID with them 
to vote. That happens to be no different than when they drive, when 
they open a bank account, when they board an airplane, when they buy 
cold medicine, or sign up for government benefits. These are all 
examples of people showing ID.
  Another argument claims it is unfair to require people to provide 
proof of citizenship to register to vote. That is even more revealing 
in coming from the other side because it makes the Biden 
administration's open border policy even more alarming.
  After President Biden allowed more than 12 million people to 
illegally enter our country, protecting the right to vote for American 
citizens is top of mind to the millions of law-abiding citizens 
throughout America. Because of the influx of illegal immigrants 
streaming into our country during Biden's border crisis, it is not 
surprising Americans want to suppress voter fraud and ensure every 
ballot is legitimate.
  The bill gives voters five different ways to show proof of 
citizenship, and it gives States the flexibility to create other 
pathways to show proof of citizenship. For example, for those whose 
current name doesn't match their birth certificate, they can provide a 
marriage certificate or other name change verification.
  I have been honored to serve in my elective office for many decades. 
I have worked hard to earn every vote at the ballot box. Public trust 
in elective officeholders requires public trust in our elections.
  Voting rights have a long history in America's march to a more 
perfect Union. They are enhanced by the 15th Amendment to the Federal 
Constitution and by the 19th Amendment to the Federal Constitution.
  My mother was one of the very first women to cast a ballot after the 
ratification of the 19th Amendment. I have shown proof of that with 
placards here on the floor of the U.S. Senate in a speech that shows 
her picture in the Des Moines Register newspaper and the Waterloo 
Courier newspaper.
  The SAVE America Act doesn't infringe on these hard-fought voting 
rights. It would preserve the integrity of every vote cast in a Federal 
election. Election integrity is sacred to our system of self-
government.
  Losing public trust in the outcome of elections would be a death 
knell for our fragile American experiment, even though it is 250 years 
long.
  For our Nation's 250th birthday, the SAVE America Act is a gift to 
current and future generations to strengthen our system of self-
government.
  This brings me to more commonsense policies included in the bill, as 
well as the voting issues.
  Like many Americans, I am alarmed by the prevalence of gender 
mutilation surgeries being performed on minors. Protecting children 
makes our society

[[Page S1063]]

stronger. Irreversible damage from gender reassignment surgery should 
not be conducted on kids. This bill would put an end to this reckless 
practice on American children. The SAVE America Act would make this 
policy the law of the land this very week.
  On another issue in the bill, America is in the thick of March 
Madness. Filling out brackets, watching buzzer-beaters, and cheering on 
Cinderella contenders is a rite of passage during the month of March. I 
am thrilled to cheer on our Iowa teams in the NCAA Tournament, 
including two women's teams--the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State 
Cyclones--as well as three men's teams--the Hawkeyes, the Cyclones, and 
my alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers.
  Earlier this month, the Iowa high school basketball tournament 
brought the best of 32 girls teams and 32 boys teams from across the 
State to compete in 4 divisions. These young athletes deserve to 
compete on a level playing field--girls against girls, boys against 
boys. This is a matter of fairness.
  Our bill would guarantee a level playing field for young athletes. 
Title IX was enacted a few years before I became a Member of Congress. 
It has been a game changer for women's sports.
  Just think of Iowa University's Caitlin Clark. She has blazed a trail 
for women's sports for generations to come.
  The SAVE America Act delivers commonsense government to the American 
people. As a student of history, I would prophesize that Americans 
looking back at this debate, 250 years from now, will scratch their 
heads, because protecting election integrity and protecting women's 
sports are as American as motherhood and apple pie.
  In fact, 80 percent of Americans are able to see eye to eye on these 
issues. When it comes to elections, 80 percent of the American people 
support voter ID. I have even seen polls that say that 71 percent of 
the Democrats support voter ID.
  I encourage my colleagues across the aisle to join us and pass the 
SAVE America Act without delay.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.