[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 53 (Sunday, March 22, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1514-S1516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SAVE America Act
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. President, a few weeks ago, I rose in this Chamber
in support of the SAVE America Act. I implored my colleagues to listen
to the people who put us here, to restore their trust in our elections,
to defend the integrity of what John Adams called ``the primary right
by which [all] other rights are protected.''
Today, the rubber meets the road. We must continue our debate in
front of
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the American people, and we need to pass this bill. That is why I rise
today to dispel the myths peddled by the bill's opponents and to remind
us and to remind the American people what it is we are really debating
here.
Now, I understand the importance of election integrity more than
most. In 2022, I lost my first statewide election by 950 votes--that is
about 14 per county--and I won my second statewide election by 15,000
votes out of about 7 million votes cast. These incredibly narrow races
show just how important it is that our elections run smoothly, fairly,
and that only--only--legitimate votes are counted.
And right now, we cannot pretend that all elections in America meet
this standard. In my home State of Pennsylvania, an illegal immigrant
named Mahady Sacko was recently indicted for having illegally voted in
seven different Federal elections, including the 2024 election. He was
not the only one. We have seen similar cases of noncitizens voting
across the country. Also in 2024, a Chinese national was caught and
charged in Michigan after his ballot had already been processed. And
just days ago, a British national was charged in Texas for illegally
casting a ballot in the 2024 election.
Now, critics of the SAVE America Act say such cases are rare, but in
2024, two--two--of the five swing State Senate races were decided by
less than 0.3 of a percentage point, and the other three races were
decided by 2 percentage points or less. The key point here is it
doesn't take that many illegal votes to swing an election and, by doing
so, to change the course of history.
And--and this is a big ``and''--because an additional 10 million
illegal immigrants entered the country during the Biden
administration--that is undisputed--that risk has risen dramatically.
Therefore, it is no surprise--it is no surprise at all--that more than
half of Americans say they are deeply concerned about the integrity and
the fairness of our elections. And it is also no surprise that the
American people are demanding we do something about it. They are
demanding a change.
And so, to my colleagues: As stewards of our constitutional order, we
have a duty. We have a duty to root out the source of this distrust and
restore the integrity and the confidence in our democratic process, and
that is why I support the SAVE America Act, and it is why I hope that
we can gain support from across the aisle with our Democratic
colleagues as well to support this incredibly important piece of
legislation.
This bill does one thing--one thing. It ensures that only American
citizens cast ballots in American elections, and it does so through a
number of measures. First, it requires documentary proof of citizenship
to register to vote. It requires standardizing the list of acceptable
documents that prove such citizenship. It creates an alternative
process for applicants who lack such documentation. It requires photo
ID when casting a ballot, and it mandates ongoing roll maintenance to
remove noncitizens, allowing States to use Federal databases for
verification. And it strengthens enforcement and penalties against
officials who knowingly register noncitizens.
These are commonsense measures. So basic, so reasonable, and most
importantly, most importantly, the American people support them. Voter
ID is an 80-20 issue. There are not that many 80-20 issues. This is an
80-20 issue. The Pew Research Center found that 95 percent of
Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats support it. Meanwhile--
meanwhile--only 22 percent of Americans oppose requiring proof of
citizenship to register for Federal elections. And that conclusion was
from a recent Washington Post-ABC News-IPSOS poll, just last month--
just last month. The American people have spoken. Bottom line: The
American people understand the problem, and they support the solution
of the SAVE America Act.
Now, since I last rose in support of the SAVE America Act, President
Trump has proposed three additional measures. These include the
limiting of mail-in ballots to those who are sick, disabled, serving in
the military, traveling, or otherwise experiencing hardship, keeping
men out of women's sports, and protecting children from transgender
mutilation surgeries. I support each of these efforts, and I support
Senator Schmitt's amendment incorporating them.
Yesterday, I also voted for the Tuberville-Blackburn amendment which
would have further protected women's sports, but again, the Democrats
blocked this commonsense effort. These additions make a strong bill
stronger, but the overall purpose--the overall purpose--and the reason
I first rose in support of this legislation is restoring the people's
faith in our elections. That is what the SAVE America Act does, that is
what it is all about, and that is why I support it.
Now, I continue to hear a lot of misleading claims about this bill,
and I would like to address a few of them directly right here and right
now. Myth 1: that the bill disenfranchises women who change their names
at marriage. False. If you are already registered, this bill requires
nothing of you. For those registering for the first time or
reregistering after a move, the bill explicitly directs States to
accommodate name discrepancies. Applicants can sign a sworn statement,
submit supporting evidence, and have an election official certify their
citizenship. The bill anticipates the challenge and provides a
solution.
Myth 2: that voters must bring proof of citizenship, like a birth
certificate, to the polls. False. Proof of citizenship is required only
at registration. On election day, a standard photo ID suffices. This
includes a driver's license, a State ID, a military ID, or a passport.
We ask Americans--we ask all of us--to show an ID to board a plane or
to buy a beer. Asking the same to protect the ballot is not a burden;
it is a basic, fundamental civic responsibility.
Myth 3: Voter ID suppresses turnout. The argument is that this bill--
as some have called it--is a Jim Crow 2.0. This is false. There is no
evidence that voter ID suppresses turnout. In fact, a 2021 National
Bureau of Economic Research study analyzed a full decade--an entire
decade--of data and found voter ID laws have no negative effect on
registration or turnout. Let me repeat that: no negative effect on
registration or turnout. A 2006 study by the Crime Prevention Research
Center went further. Fraud prevention measures actually increase
participation. And when my good friend Governor Kemp of Georgia enacted
a voter ID law in 2021, the State turnout records in 2022 and again in
2024 were alltime highs.
These facts are pesky things. But despite the facts and despite the
support of the American people, many Democrats have stood against this
act from the very beginning. The reason: They fundamentally oppose
requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID at the
polls. It is just a fundamental disagreement. They fundamentally
disagree with what 80 percent of the American people agree with. And
because they know these principles are so simple, so intuitive, some
have decided, sadly, that they cannot defeat this measure with honest
debate; and so instead, as is so often the case in Washington, they try
to bury it--this legislation and this very idea--in hysteria and
misinformation.
Sadly, I have heard this bill smeared as ``one of the most despicable
pieces of legislation,'' ``an attack on our sacred right to vote,'' ``a
voter suppression bill.'' And the Democratic leadership, before even
seeing the specifics of the bill, declared it dead on arrival.
I should be used to it. I am new to Washington, but I should be used
to this kind of performative language, this kind of escalation I see on
the left. It is simply petty--petty political theater. It is wrong, it
is disgraceful, and it is unworthy. This kind of rhetoric is unworthy
of the serious attention, the honest debate, and the thoughtful action
that is required on such an important and such a fundamental issue.
The facts around this issue are clear. Fact 1: The American people
are worried about the integrity of their elections and rightly so. Fact
2: The American people overwhelmingly--overwhelmingly--support voter ID
and citizenship requirements to ensure that only American citizens cast
ballots in American elections. Fact 3: These are the core features--
these are the core features of the SAVE America Act. Fact 4: There are
abundant, readily available ways to get the proper documents or meet
the requirements to ease access for all those who are qualified to
vote. The bill expects that. It protects that. Fact 5: This Chamber
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can and must work together in a bipartisan manner to address this
critical concern of the American people. It is possible. Don't believe
this is not possible.
We just did it. We just did it with the ROAD to Housing Act last
week.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem. We have a problem with voter
confidence. We have a problem with voter integrity. The American people
want it fixed, and the SAVE America Act is a commonsense and effective
solution for addressing this problem.
For all these many reasons, I implore my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle to join me in supporting the SAVE America Act.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, this week, the Senate took an important
step by beginning debate on the SAVE America Act--a commonsense piece
of legislation that safeguards our elections by implementing voter ID
requirements and ensuring that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote
in our elections.
This is not a controversial idea. In fact, recent polling shows that
over 70 percent of Americans support the bill.
Let me try that one more time. Over 70 percent of Americans support
this bill. That means Republicans, Democrats, and Independents--over 70
percent.
That means that the American people agree that only eligible citizens
should vote in our elections. It means the American people support
voter ID as a reasonable and responsible safeguard.
The Presiding Officer was secretary of state in the Buckeye State--
huge State, millions of people. The Presiding Officer knows from his
own experience that whether somebody is an Independent, whether they
are Republican, whether they are Democrat, the law is that you have to
be a citizen.
People want integrity--voter integrity--at the ballot box. This is a
pretty fundamental concept, which is why Americans overwhelmingly
support it.
The fact that you should have voter ID--just take voter ID. That is
over 80 percent. I mean, think about it. Let's see. ID to get into a
government building, to get a fishing license, to rent a hotel room, to
rent a car. I mean, come on.
It just doesn't get any more fundamental; it doesn't make any more
common sense. So it really shouldn't be a partisan issue. As I said, it
is a commonsense issue, it is that simple, and this body should come
together and vote and pass it.
So I urge our Democrat colleagues to join us and I guess just do what
70 to 80 percent of Americans want, what 70 percent of their own
Democratic voters want. How about doing what their voters want--let
alone ours--and the Independents?
So, somehow, the false choice they are bringing up there is that, gee
whiz, if we do this, somehow you are denying voters access to the
polls. Well, that is just not true. That is not true at all. In fact,
when voters trust the process, they are more likely to participate.
Think about it. If they trust the process, that makes them motivated to
participate.
Again, it is not a burden to simply have a photo ID. They have to
have it for everything else, so they certainly should have it when they
vote.
For example, in my State of North Dakota, you know, elections are
both secure and accessible. Our approach actually goes above and
beyond. In North Dakota, my State, we already go beyond what is
required in the legislation.
North Dakota officials across multiple State agencies conduct daily
maintenance to ensure clean, updated, and accurate voter rolls. We also
have a robust voter ID policy that requires an individual to provide a
birth certificate, a passport, or a certificate of naturalization to
get a driver's license. Now, this is to get a driver's license or a
nondriver ID. But once you get that so you can drive your car, you are
in great shape to vote.
Again, this is stuff that people have in their everyday lives, so to
try to make it out that it is a problem--well, that just doesn't fly.
The American people expect us to protect the integrity of the
election system.
Again, the Presiding Officer was secretary of state. That was his job
every single day. But it is our job too. It is our job too. And the
Voting Rights Act requires it, and that is exactly what this
legislation does.
Americans support the SAVE America Act, and I urge our Democrat
colleagues to join us in doing exactly what the American people are
asking us to do, what they elected us to do.