Rep. Chip Roy’s SAVE Act, Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote in Federal Elections, Passes the House

Rep. Chip Roy’s (R-TX) Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act cleared the House of Representatives on Thursday.

The House voted in favor of the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, in a 220-208 vote. All Republican present voted in support of the SAVE Act, but it was largely passed on partisan lines, as just four Democrats voted in favor alongside them.

The SAVE Act effectively amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

The measure itself lists several forms of valid identification to prove citizenship: “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,” namely a valid U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID card alongside a military record of service “showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States,” a valid government-issued photo ID showcasing that the individual was born in the U.S., and a birth certificate issued by a state.

“Despite the ridiculous attacks and purposeful misinformation spread about the bill, I am pleased to see that the House of Representatives once again passed the SAVE Act on a bipartisan basis to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections,” Roy said of the measure passing through the House.

“I would like to thank Speaker Johnson, Chairman Steil, and Senator Mike Lee for partnering with me on this effort.
In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election,” the congressman emphasized.

“I am grateful that my colleagues answered the call and passed the SAVE Act,” he continued, describing this as the “critical first step to ensure that we maintain election integrity throughout our country.”

“It is now up to the Senate to take up, pass, and send this important bill to President Trump’s desk,” he added.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) also celebrated the bill’s passage in the House on social media.

“Thrilled that the House just passed the SAVE Act, which I introduced in the Senate, alongside @chiproytx in the House,” Lee said.

“We must make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” he added. “That’s what the SAVE Act would do.”