House Republicans passed legislation on Thursday to stop noncitizens from casting ballots in national elections, a goal that President Donald Trump has set aside from a self-inflicted delay next week.
The SAVE Act, or SAVE Act, may require people to give proof of citizenship and/or U.S. membership in order to register to vote. Democrats have voiced opposition to the bill, especially its restrictions on acceptable forms of identification, which they claim would make it difficult for married ladies to file after changing their last titles. Some and Democrats  say the real aim is to alienate Americans.
Rep.  Terri Sewell, a part of the House Administration Committee, which has authority over national elections, said that when they do that, they win elections. So this is not about preserving Democratic votes and elected officials but rather about preserving their integrity.
While the bill’s guide partner, GOP Rep.  Chicken Roy  of  , Texas, called it a necessary step.
The American people have stated very clearly that they think just citizens of America should cast ballots in American votes. There isn’t anything questionable about that, Roy said on Thursday from the House surface prior to the vote.
Exercises.  Ed Case , of , Hawaii;  Jared Golden , Henry Cuellar , of , Texas; and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez , of , Washington; passed the measure with 220 votes in favor and 4 votes in favor.
The proposal then moves to the , Senate, where the , GOP , holds a flimsy lot. It’s unclear whether any Democrats do give their support to a version introduced in that room by Sen.  Mike Lee of UT . It has gained 20 co-sponsors, all Republicans, and it’s unclear whether any Democrats  would give their support.
In a speech released earlier this month, Senate Democrats pledged to stop it.
” Congressive Republicans are pushing a plan that would compel states to pass laws that would essentially stifle automated voter registration, stifle in-person voter registration pulls, and pressure them into enacting laws that would efficiently obstruct millions of American citizens from voting. The , New York , Democrat wrote,” It is an outrage.”
Noncitizens are now unable to cast ballots in federal elections, and there is little evidence, even from conservatives, that it occurs frequently. In the midst of the 2020 election, when Trump lost to Joe Biden and made baseless claims of voter fraud, it has preoccupied some in the , GOP , and has resonated with congressional Republicans.
House Republicans , which introduced the bill just days after Trump issued a comprehensive professional purchase enforcing strict voter identification requirements across the country. The attempt has been the subject of numerous lawsuits brought by Democratic officials and various organizations throughout the nation.
Speaker , Mike Johnson , said in a statement last week encouraging support for the legislation that” British citizens— and just American citizens — should choose American elections. With the SAVE Act, House Republicans are determined to formalize this simple principle.
The legislation would alter the 1993 National Voter Registration Act to require membership evidence and direct claims to replace noncitizens from their voting rolls. While a card is listed among the suitable documents, critics claim that millions of Americans are unable to afford one due to the cost and inconvenience of getting one. According to the bill, a photo ID that matches a birth certificate may be sufficient, but if the names of the two women no longer fit, that could cause issues for them. Election officials who register individuals without the proper documentation may face criminal penalties, which some feared might lead to excessive caution. However, supporters claim that states may resolve those issues and ignore other issues like remote candidates who have to travel for lengthy periods of time to get the documents in person.
After receiving advice from the Electoral Assistance Commission, each state may develop its own procedure for verifying citizen during voter registration.
When asked about possible difficulties for people who had taken their spouse’s last name, House Administration Chair , Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said earlier this month,” We’re looking at a federal election that’s 18 months ahead, but if enacted quickly, we know that state would be creating a approach addressing this issue.”
” The general election]is ] in 2026, we have special elections taking place right now,” said Joseph D. Morelle, a ranking member in the House Administration. By the way, this isn’t about voting. It’s about registering here. So you’d have to figure out what your state does for months.
The SAVE Act was first introduced in the Democratic-controlled Senate last in Congress , and it passed the House before becoming lawful. It was one of a dozen priority bills included in the overall House Rules package, which meant it could be called to the floor for a vote without having to pass through the Rules Committee.
However, in spite of a separate skirmish,  , GOP , committee members decided to move it along. Leaders folded language to kill that effort into a rule teeing up the SAVE Act and other conservative priorities, adding pressure on a small number of Republicans and Democrats who wanted to allow proxy voting for new parents in the House.
The procedural tactic initially flopped for Johnson and the GOP. Republicans and Democrats joined nine of the House floor’s members to vote down the rule, scuttling the anti-proxy voting language and taking into account the conservative bills.
By the time Republicans  celebrated passage of the election measure on the same day they successfully passed a budget resolution intended to open the door for the next steps of Trump’s. However, that procedural drama was in the rearview mirror on Thursday.
After the votes, Johnson made a victory lap.
I urged you to not doubt us. He cited the budget resolution and other Republican victories this week, including the SAVE Act, as the media always does, the , Democrats always do, but we get the job done, he said.
Johnson continued,” Only U.S.  citizens should vote and decide U.S.  elections.” There is no mechanism in place to make sure that that law is always followed, but it is already in federal law. The SAVE Act will aid in ensuring that is accurate.
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