Tipsheet

House Passes The SAVE Act, Dems Are Determined to Leave it There

Jamie Parsons
Jamie Parsons  |  July 13, 2024 3:30 PM

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship from individuals registering to vote in federal elections; however, Republicans doubt the bill will move forward. 

House Republicans and five House Democrats voted to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act on July 10. Republicans are skeptical about the bill's passage because many Democrats, including President Biden, have publicly opposed it. 

Before the House passed the bill, Biden issued a veto threat on the SAVE Act, and encouraged House Republicans to approve his bipartisan border deal instead. Unfortunately for Biden, on Wednesday afternoon, House Republicans did just the opposite and passed the SAVE Act in a 221-168 vote. 

The Committee on House Administration report stated the bill aims to ensure "only citizens are registered to vote in elections for federal office." Still, Democrats complain the bill burdens citizens trying to vote. 

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX.), a sponsor of the SAVE Act, claimed he designed the bill to target noncitizens attempting to register to vote, and it did not affect citizens. 

Recommended

The Forever-Tarnished Legacy of Barack Obama Jeff Davidson
Bombshell Report Reveals Disturbing Truths About the Biden-Harris Parole Pipeline Sarah Arnold

In May, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA.) told reporters it was important to pass the SAVE Act because it would allow states to punish people who help noncitizens register to vote and punish noncitizens trying to register to vote. Rep. Johnson also said that even though it is "already illegal" for noncitizens to vote in the U.S., it is still "happening," The Hill reported.

“This legislation will allow us to do exactly that — it will prevent that from happening," Rep. Johnson said. "And if someone tries to do it, it will now be unlawful within the states." 

Researchers, however, have said Johnson's "intuition" is wrong, The Hill reported. A Brennan Center for Justice study found 30 "suspected" cases of noncitizen voting out of 23.5 million, but those few cases were "not confirmed."

Democrats also voiced their belief that noncitizens are not voting in federal elections on social media. 

Despite "researchers" claims and beliefs from Democrats, The Oversight Project, an investigative organization run by the Heritage Foundation, found footage of illegal aliens claiming they were registered to vote. 

There are also Democrats, such as Biden, who oppose the bill because they know noncitizens are voting in federal elections–most voting Democrat–and they want to keep a broken election system so noncitizens can vote for Biden in the 2024 election. 

"Under Joe Biden's watch, over 11 million illegal aliens are now here on U.S. soil," Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS.) said. "Democrats motivations behind welcoming this influx of migrants has been clear: they believe these are future Democrat voters. While requiring U.S. citizenship for federal elections has long been a requirement, our legislation finally puts pen to paper on the exact documents a person will need to prove they are, in fact, an American citizen and eligible voter."

As the bill heads to the Senate, Republicans are ready to fight for it but are also preparing for an unfortunate outcome.