50th Republican Co-Sponsors SAVE America Act as GOP Nears Final Votes

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Saturday became the 50th Republican to co-sponsor the SAVE America Act, meaning that just three of the chamber’s GOP lawmakers remain to sign on as sponsors.

“The SAVE America Act has 49 cosponsors and I’m thrilled to announce that Senator Collins is now supporting the bill!” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, one of the presenters of the legislation, said Saturday.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced the SAVE America Act on Thursday as an updated version of their previously proposed SAVE Act, adding a voter ID requirement for federal elections while maintaining proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.

Lee and Roy joined forces last month to present the bill.

“By requiring Voter ID and proof-of-citizenship, the SAVE America Act will ensure that our federal elections are decided by U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens alone,” they said in their announcement about the legislation, which has passed in the House.

If the bill becomes law, it would require individuals to present an eligible photo identification document before voting in federal elections. The measure would also require states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote and mandate that states remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls — provisions carried over from the original SAVE Act.

Supporters of the bill point to a surge in illegal immigration under the Biden-Harris administration, claiming at least 10 million illegal aliens entered communities nationwide. In many states, those individuals are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits, which the bill’s backers say could create opportunities to illegally register to vote in federal elections.

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in U.S. federal elections.

Meanwhile, Lee on Friday accused Democrats of “getting desperate” about the bill after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against it.

“They’re counting on Americans not to read the bill and to see that you can prove your citizenship and ID even if you change your name or lack the usual documents,” he posted Saturday. Lee’s post accompanied a comment from Clinton, who said: “Are you one of nearly 70 million American women who changed their names when they got married? Republicans in Congress want to make it harder for you to vote.”