BREAKING: House passes bill requiring proof of US citizenship to vote

The House on Thursday passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act, in a 220-208 vote. Four Democrats joined all present Republicans in passing the bill.

The bill requires proof of US citizenship to be able to register to vote in a federal election. Documents proving US citizenship accepted under the bill include those consistent with the REAL ID Act of 2005, a valid US passport, a military identification card alongside a military record of service that shows the person’s place of birth was in the US, a valid government-issued photo ID card showing the person’s place of birth was in the US, and a valid birth certificate, among other documents. 

Per The Hill, the four Democrats to side with Republicans in passing the bill were Reps Ed Case of Hawaii, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. This comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating that individuals provide documentary, government-issued proof of US citizenship when registering to vote. 

Proponents of the bill argue that it was necessary to prevent migrants from voting in elections. One of the bill’s cosponsors, Rep Chip Roy, said, "There is nothing more sacred under the constitution than ensuring that the people are able to have the voice in the election of the people that represent them in Washington, and throughout the country."

“Once that is undermined, then people lose faith in the very institutions upon which this is built. This legislation is designed to restore that faith, to save our elections, to save election integrity.”

Democrats argued that the bill is misguided and would ban something that is already illegal and make it harder for Americans to vote. Rep Joe Morelle said, "Republicans would force Americans into a paperwork nightmare, burying voter registration under a mountain of bureaucracy and red tape."

“Under the SAVE Act, most Americans would be unable to register to vote using their Real ID. Further, under the SAVE Act, almost 70 million American women will be unable to register to vote using their birth certificate simply because they changed their name upon marriage,” he added.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans will need Democrat support to reach the 60-vote threshold, as the chamber currently has a 53-47 Republican majority. Senator Mike Lee revealed a companion bill earlier in 2025, which currently has 20 Republican cosponsors.