House passes SAVE America Act, sending Trump-backed election bill to the Senate
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted Wednesday to pass the Save America Act, a sweeping election bill that President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to enact.
The vote was 218 to 213; Republicans voted unanimously in favor and all but one Democrat voted against. The only Democrat to vote yes was Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.
32 pages legislation It would require states to obtain “in-person” documented proof of citizenship, such as an American passport or birth certificate, to register to vote in federal elections.
The bill, which has been revised to include Trump’s new demands compared to its previous version, also requires voters to show photo identification in order to vote in person. It also introduces new rules regarding mail-in ballots; Requires voters to present a copy of appropriate identification when requesting and casting an absentee ballot.
“This is just common sense. Americans need an ID to drive, open a bank account, buy cold medicine and get government benefits,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “So why should voting be any different?”
Democrats said the law was designed to deprive Americans of their rights and noted: non-citizen voting It is already illegal and very rare. Current law requires voters to prove their citizenship under oath, with criminal penalties for violating it.
“This is a desperate effort by Republicans to create a distraction,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) told reporters. “The so-called SAVE Act is not about voter identification, it’s about voter suppression. And they have no credibility on that.”
Jeffries and other Democrats note that the GOP bill comes after Trump said he wanted it. “Nationalizing” elections and “take over voting in at least 15 locations.” This is contrary to the Constitution, which gives states authority over the “Time, Place, and Manner of Conducting Elections” for federal office. Democrats also say the FBI Ballot papers and voter registrations were seized from Fulton County, Georgia, as Trump continues to make false claims that he won the 2020 election.
Republicans note that requiring some form of voter ID is popular. A. Pew Research Center survey Last August, it was found that 83% of US adults were in favor of “requiring all voters to present a government-issued photo ID to vote.” This includes 71 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of Black voters; Some Democrats and liberal advocates argue that this decision would disenfranchise people.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, now heads to the Senate, where it faces a difficult process. Republicans control 53 seats, and some are skeptical or openly opposed to the legislation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, opposed this weekHe reminded his GOP colleagues that as recently as 2021 they claimed to oppose federal election mandates for states.
“When Democrats tried to advance comprehensive election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because elections would be federalized, something we have long opposed,” he said. “Now, I see proposals like the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, believes the revised version of the bill is problematic, according to her office.
“Senator Collins supports the law and the constitutional interpretation that only American citizens have the right to vote in federal elections. He also supports voter ID. So he supported the original SAVE Act,” a spokesperson for Collins told NBC News. “There were issues with the SAVE America Act because it was much broader than the original guidelines, and we hope those issues will be addressed by the bill’s drafters and the House of Representatives.”
And Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former GOP leader who led the charge against Democrats’ failed voting rights packages in 2021 and 2022, has long insisted he believes elections should be run by states without federal interference or authority.
Even if it wins the majority in the Senate, there is no way the bill will get 60 votes because Democrats are strongly opposed.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said the proposal would “impose Jim Crow-type laws across the country and be obsolete once it reaches the Senate.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Tuesday that Republicans had a “robust” debate on the measure, supported it and promised to bring it to a vote.
“Time will tell how we get to that vote,” Thune said, noting that Senate Republicans have staunchly opposed repealing the 60-vote threshold despite the president’s demands to do so. “There’s nowhere near the votes to nuke the bandits, not even close.”
This article was first published on: NBCNews.com
