Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, and Chairwoman McClain have jointly issued a statement ahead of the examination of H.R. 22, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act). This legislative proposition aims to reaffirm and enhance existing laws to ensure that only American citizens are eligible to participate in elections.
“American citizens — and only American citizens — should decide American elections. House Republicans are determined to codify this commonsense idea with the SAVE Act which puts in place commonsense safeguards to prevent noncitizens from abusing our democratic process,” the statement read. The Republican leaders emphasize that the Act seeks to cement into law the executive action initiated by former President Trump, which was intended to protect the integrity of voter registration processes. They further called on their colleagues in the House to support the measure, highlighting widespread public demand for such protections.
The SAVE Act mandates the requirement for states to verify citizenship in-person prior to voter registration. The legislation also compels states to eliminate non-citizens from current voter lists while equipping them with the necessary tools to do so effectively. In the 118th Congress, the legislation received bipartisan support in the House, passing by a vote of 221 to 198, although it was later halted by Senate Democrats.
