[Pages H4556-H4567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SAFEGUARD AMERICAN VOTER ELIGIBILITY ACT

Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1341, I call
up the bill (H.R. 8281) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an
individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1341, the
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on
House Administration, printed in this bill, is adopted and the bill, as
amended, is considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

H.R. 8281

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguard American Voter
Eligibility Act'' or the ``SAVE Act''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING ONLY CITIZENS ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN
ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.

(a) Definition of Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship.--Section 3 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20502) is amended--
(1) by striking ``As used'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--As used''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Documentary Proof of United States Citizenship.--As
used in this Act, the term `documentary proof of United
States citizenship' means, with respect to an applicant for
voter registration, any of the following:
``(1) A form of identification issued consistent with the
requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the
applicant is a citizen of the United States.
``(2) A valid United States passport.
``(3) The applicant's official United States military
identification card, together with a United States military
record of service showing that the applicant's place of birth
was in the United States.
``(4) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government showing that
the applicant's place of birth was in the United States.
``(5) A valid government-issued photo identification card
issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government other than an
identification described in paragraphs (1) through (4), but
only

[[Page H4557]]

if presented together with one or more of the following:
``(A) A certified birth certificate issued by a State, a
unit of local government in a State, or a Tribal government
which--
``(i) was issued by the State, unit of local government, or
Tribal government in which the applicant was born;
``(ii) was filed with the office responsible for keeping
vital records in the State;
``(iii) includes the full name, date of birth, and place of
birth of the applicant;
``(iv) lists the full names of one or both of the parents
of the applicant;
``(v) has the signature of an individual who is authorized
to sign birth certificates on behalf of the State, unit of
local government, or Tribal government in which the applicant
was born;
``(vi) includes the date that the certificate was filed
with the office responsible for keeping vital records in the
State; and
``(vii) has the seal of the State, unit of local
government, or Tribal government that issued the birth
certificate.
``(B) An extract from a United States hospital Record of
Birth created at the time of the applicant's birth which
indicates that the applicant's place of birth was in the
United States.
``(C) A final adoption decree showing the applicant's name
and that the applicant's place of birth was in the United
States.
``(D) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a citizen of the
United States or a certification of the applicant's Report of
Birth of a United States citizen issued by the Secretary of
State.
``(E) A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of
Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security or
any other document or method of proof of United States
citizenship issued by the Federal government pursuant to the
Immigration and Nationality Act.
``(F) An American Indian Card issued by the Department of
Homeland Security with the classification `KIC'.''.
(b) In General.--Section 4 of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsection (b)'' and
inserting ``subsection (c)'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection:
``(b) Requiring Applicants to Present Documentary Proof of
United States Citizenship.--Under any method of voter
registration in a State, the State shall not accept and
process an application to register to vote in an election for
Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary
proof of United States citizenship with the application.''.
(c) Registration With Application for Motor Vehicle
Driver's License.--Section 5 of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``Each State motor
vehicle driver's license application'' and inserting
``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j), each State
motor vehicle driver's license application'';
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``Each State shall
include'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements under
section 8(j), each State shall include'';
(3) in subsection (c)(2)(B)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(iii) verify that the applicant is a citizen of the
United States;'';
(4) in subsection (c)(2)(C)(i), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship''; and
(5) in subsection (c)(2)(D)(iii), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting the following: ``, other than as evidence in a
criminal proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against
an applicant who knowingly attempts to register to vote and
knowingly makes a false declaration under penalty of perjury
that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements to
register to vote in an election for Federal office; and''.
(d) Requiring Documentary Proof of United States
Citizenship With National Mail Voter Registration Form.--
Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20505) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Each State shall accept and use'' and
inserting ``Subject to the requirements under section 8(j),
each State shall accept and use''; and
(B) by striking ``Federal Election Commission'' and
inserting ``Election Assistance Commission'';
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``The chief State election official of a State shall take
such steps as may be necessary to ensure that residents of
the State are aware of the requirement to provide documentary
proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) the person did not provide documentary proof of
United States citizenship when registering to vote.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Ensuring Proof of United States Citizenship.--
``(1) Presenting proof of united states citizenship to
election official.--An applicant who submits the mail voter
registration application form prescribed by the Election
Assistance Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall not
be registered to vote in an election for Federal office
unless--
``(A) the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship in person to the office of the appropriate
election official not later than the deadline provided by
State law for the receipt of a completed voter registration
application for the election; or
``(B) in the case of a State which permits an individual to
register to vote in an election for Federal office at a
polling place on the day of the election and on any day when
voting, including early voting, is permitted for the
election, the applicant presents documentary proof of United
States citizenship to the appropriate election official at
the polling place not later than the date of the election.
``(2) Notification of requirement.--Upon receiving an
otherwise completed mail voter registration application form
prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission pursuant to
section 9(a)(2) or a form described in paragraph (1) or (2)
of subsection (a), the appropriate election official shall
transmit a notice to the applicant of the requirement to
present documentary proof of United States citizenship under
this subsection, and shall include in the notice instructions
to enable the applicant to meet the requirement.
``(3) Accessibility.--Each State shall, in consultation
with the Election Assistance Commission, ensure that
reasonable accommodations are made to allow an individual
with a disability who submits the mail voter registration
application form prescribed by the Election Assistance
Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2) or a form described in
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) to present documentary
proof of United States citizenship to the appropriate
election official.''.
(e) Requirements for Voter Registration Agencies.--Section
7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20506) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (4)(A), by adding at the end the following
new clause:
``(iv) Receipt of documentary proof of United States
citizenship of each applicant to register to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State.''; and
(B) in paragraph (6)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i)(I), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``, including the requirement
that the applicant provides documentary proof of United
States citizenship''; and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) ask the applicant the question, `Are you a citizen of
the United States?' and if the applicant answers in the
affirmative require documentary proof of United States
citizenship prior to providing the form under subparagraph
(C);''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``who are citizens
of the United States'' after ``for persons''.
(f) Requirements With Respect to Administration of Voter
Registration.--Section 8 of the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``In the administration of voter
registration'' and inserting ``Subject to the requirements of
subsection (j), in the administration of voter
registration''; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'' at the end; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(D) based on documentary proof or verified information
that the registrant is not a United States citizen; or
``(E) the registration otherwise fails to comply with
applicable State law;'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (l); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new
subsections:
``(j) Ensuring Only Citizens Are Registered to Vote.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, a State may not register an individual to vote in
elections for Federal office held in the State unless, at the
time the individual applies to register to vote, the
individual provides documentary proof of United States
citizenship.
``(2) Additional processes in certain cases.--
``(A) Process for those without documentary proof.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted
by the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant who cannot
provide documentary proof of United States citizenship under
paragraph (1) may, if the applicant signs an attestation
under penalty of perjury that the applicant is a citizen of
the United States and eligible to vote in elections for
Federal office, submit such other evidence to the appropriate
State or local official demonstrating that the applicant is a
citizen of the United States and such official shall make a
determination as to whether the applicant has sufficiently
established United States citizenship for purposes of
registering to vote in elections for Federal office in the
State.
``(ii) Affidavit requirement.--If a State or local official
makes a determination under clause (i) that an applicant has
sufficiently established United States citizenship for
purposes of registering to vote in elections for Federal
office in the State, such determination shall be accompanied
by an affidavit developed under

[[Page H4558]]

clause (iii) signed by the official swearing or affirming the
applicant sufficiently established United States citizenship
for purposes of registering to vote.
``(iii) Development of affidavit by the election assistance
commission.--The Election Assistance Commission shall develop
a uniform affidavit for use by State and local officials
under clause (ii), which shall--

``(I) include an explanation of the minimum standards
required for a State or local official to register an
applicant who cannot provide documentary proof of United
States citizenship to vote in elections for Federal office in
the State; and
``(II) require the official to explain the basis for
registering such applicant to vote in such elections.

``(B) Process in case of certain discrepancies in
documentation.--Subject to any relevant guidance adopted by
the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall
establish a process under which an applicant can provide such
additional documentation to the appropriate election official
of the State as may be necessary to establish that the
applicant is a citizen of the United States in the event of a
discrepancy with respect to the applicant's documentary proof
of United States citizenship.
``(3) State requirements.--Each State shall take
affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only
United States citizens are registered to vote under the
provisions of this Act, which shall include the establishment
of a program described in paragraph (4) not later than 30
days after the date of the enactment of this subsection.
``(4) Program described.--A State may meet the requirements
of paragraph (3) by establishing a program under which the
State identifies individuals who are not United States
citizens using information supplied by one or more of the
following sources:
``(A) The Department of Homeland Security through the
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (`SAVE') or
otherwise.
``(B) The Social Security Administration through the Social
Security Number Verification Service, or otherwise.
``(C) State agencies that supply State identification cards
or driver's licenses where the agency confirms the United
States citizenship status of applicants.
``(D) Other sources, including databases, which provide
confirmation of United States citizenship status.
``(5) Availability of information.--
``(A) In general.--At the request of a State election
official (including a request related to a process
established by a State under paragraph (2)(A) or (2)(B)), any
head of a Federal department or agency possessing information
relevant to determining the eligibility of an individual to
vote in elections for Federal office shall, not later than 24
hours after receipt of such request, provide the official
with such information as may be necessary to enable the
official to verify that an applicant for voter registration
in elections for Federal office held in the State or a
registrant on the official list of eligible voters in
elections for Federal office held in the State is a citizen
of the United States, which shall include providing the
official with such batched information as may be requested by
the official.
``(B) Use of save system.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security may respond to a request received under paragraph
(1) by using the system for the verification of immigration
status under the applicable provisions of section 1137 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-7), as established
pursuant to section 121(c) of the Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-603).
``(C) Sharing of information.--The heads of Federal
departments and agencies shall share information with each
other with respect to an individual who is the subject of a
request received under paragraph (A) in order to enable them
to respond to the request.
``(D) Investigation for purposes of removal.--The Secretary
of Homeland Security shall conduct an investigation to
determine whether to initiate removal proceedings under
section 239 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1229) if it is determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (B)
that an alien (as such term is defined in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)) is
unlawfully registered to vote in elections for Federal
office.
``(E) Prohibiting fees.--The head of a Federal department
or agency may not charge a fee for responding to a State's
request under paragraph (A).
``(k) Removal of Noncitizens From Registration Rolls.--A
State shall remove an individual who is not a citizen of the
United States from the official list of eligible voters for
elections for Federal office held in the State at any time
upon receipt of documentation or verified information that a
registrant is not a United States citizen.''.
(g) Clarification of Authority of State to Remove
Noncitizens From Official List of Eligible Voters.--
(1) In general.--Section 8(a)(4) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)(4)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(B) by adding ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B); and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) documentary proof or verified information that the
registrant is not a United States citizen;''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 8(c)(2)(B)(i) of such
Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(c)(2)(B)(i)) is amended by striking
``(4)(A)'' and inserting ``(4)(A) or (C)''.
(h) Requirements With Respect to Federal Mail Voter
Registration Form.--
(1) Contents of mail voter registration form.--Section 9(b)
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``(including
citizenship)'' and inserting ``(including an explanation of
what is required to present documentary proof of United
States citizenship)'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) shall include a section, for use only by a State or
local election official, to record the type of document the
applicant presented as documentary proof of United States
citizenship, including the date of issuance, the date of
expiration (if any), the office which issued the document,
and any unique identification number associated with the
document.''.
(2) Information on mail voter registration form.--Section
9(b)(4) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20508(b)(4)) is amended--
(A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as
subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively; and
(B) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated and as amended
by paragraph (1)(C)), by striking ``; and'' and inserting the
following: ``, other than as evidence in a criminal
proceeding or immigration proceeding brought against an
applicant who attempts to register to vote and makes a false
declaration under penalty of perjury that the applicant meets
the eligibility requirements to register to vote in an
election for Federal office; and''.
(i) Private Right of Action.--Section 11(b)(1) of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C.
20510(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``a violation of this
Act'' and inserting ``a violation of this Act, including the
act of an election official who registers an applicant to
vote in an election for Federal office who fails to present
documentary proof of United States citizenship,''.
(j) Criminal Penalties.--Section 12(2) of such Act (52
U.S.C. 20511(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (D);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(B) in the case of an officer or employee of the
executive branch, providing material assistance to a
noncitizen in attempting to register to vote or vote in an
election for Federal office;
``(C) registering an applicant to vote in an election for
Federal office who fails to present documentary proof of
United States citizenship; or''.
(k) Applicability of Requirements to Certain States.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 4 of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20503), as
redesignated by subsection (b), is amended by striking ``This
Act does not apply to a State'' and inserting ``Except with
respect to the requirements under subsection (i) and (j) of
section 8 in the case of a State described in paragraph (2),
this Act does not apply to a State''.
(2) Permitting states to adopt requirements after
enactment.--Section 4 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20503) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Permitting States to Adopt Certain Requirements After
Enactment.--Subsections (i) and (j) of section 8 shall not
apply to a State described in subsection (c)(2) if the State,
by law or regulation, adopts requirements which are identical
to the requirements under such subsections not later than 60
days prior to the date of the first election for Federal
office which is held in the State after the date of the
enactment of the SAVE Act.''.

SEC. 3. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION GUIDANCE.

Not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Election Assistance Commission shall adopt and
transmit to the chief State election official of each State
guidance with respect to the implementation of the
requirements under the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), as amended by section 2.

SEC. 4. INAPPLICABILITY OF PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT.

Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44 (commonly referred
to as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply with
respect to the development or modification of voter
registration materials under the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), as amended by section
2, including the development or modification of any voter
registration application forms.

SEC. 5. DUTY OF SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO NOTIFY
ELECTION OFFICIALS OF NATURALIZATION.

Upon receiving information that an individual has become a
naturalized citizen of the United States, the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall promptly provide notice of such
information to the appropriate chief election official of the
State in which such individual is domiciled.

SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.

Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by this Act
may be construed to supercede, restrict, or otherwise affect
the ability of an individual to cast a provisional ballot in
an election for Federal office or to have the ballot counted
in the election if the individual is verified as a citizen of
the United States pursuant to section 8(j) of the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (as added by section 2(f)).

SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING EFFECT ON STATE
EXEMPTIONS FROM OTHER FEDERAL LAWS.

Nothing in this Act or in any amendment made by this Act
may be construed to affect the

[[Page H4559]]

exemption of a State from any requirement of any Federal law
other than the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52
U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall
apply with respect to applications for voter registration
which are submitted on or after such date.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for
1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on House Administration or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil).

{time} 1415

General Leave

Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 8281, the Safeguard
American Voter Eligibility Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Safeguard American Voter
Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, introduced by my colleague,
Representative Chip Roy of Texas.
As chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I have been
focused on improving election integrity and increasing confidence in
our elections. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number
of jurisdictions across the country that allow noncitizens to vote in
their elections.
Right here in our Nation's Capital, noncitizens are eligible to vote
in municipal elections. In Washington, D.C., a noncitizen only has to
reside in the District for 30 days in order to vote.
Last month, 143 Democrats voted to approve noncitizen voting in our
Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C. We cannot allow this to spread
across the United States.
Let me be clear: Noncitizen voting reduces confidence in our
elections. American elections are for American citizens, and we intend
to keep it that way.
Today, we consider the SAVE Act, and we will see if my Democratic
colleagues are once again in support of noncitizen voting. The SAVE Act
will strengthen our election administration and restore Americans'
confidence in our elections.
The SAVE Act contains critical reforms to update the National Voter
Registration Act, an act that requires States to give voter
registration forms to everyone who receives a driver's license,
regardless of citizenship status.
The bill before us will help States prevent noncitizens from voting
in Federal elections by requiring States to obtain documentary proof of
U.S. citizenship and identify in person when registering an individual
to vote in Federal elections.
You are sure to hear my colleagues today on the other side say that
noncitizen voting doesn't exist, or that it rarely happens, so we don't
need to do anything about it.
First, I point you to a 1996 congressional race in California where
an investigation by this body revealed that 624 noncitizens voted in
that congressional election. I also point you to a race less than 4
years ago where our colleague from Iowa won by six votes.
Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legal American citizen.
Illegal voting risks swaying elections.
Ensuring our laws are being enforced to prevent noncitizen voting is
critical. Some will say that illegal voting is already illegal for
noncitizens, but it is also illegal to evade the Border Patrol and
enter our country illegally. Yet, that hasn't stopped almost anyone.
In the last 3 years, Border Patrol has encountered 7 million illegal
migrants at our southern border. We must strengthen our election laws
to make sure that they are being properly enforced.
On top of the previously mentioned examples of noncitizen voting, we
also have seen examples of noncitizens on the voter rolls in different
States across our country.
Just a few years ago, Illinois removed almost 600 noncitizens from
its voter rolls. A Georgia audit recently determined that more than
1,600 noncitizens had attempted to register. In Pennsylvania, almost
10,000 noncitizens were removed from their rolls.
Every State needs access to the tools necessary to remove noncitizens
from their voter rolls. A crucial element of the SAVE Act would provide
States with cost-free access to existing Federal and State databases so
they can perform this important voter list maintenance.
Today, we see the Biden administration has weaponized our border, and
they are weaponizing Federal agencies to conduct a partisan voter
registration scheme using taxpayer dollars under an executive order.
I have subpoenaed each agency's strategic plan. So far, no agency has
produced its strategic, secretive scheme to get out the vote, and the
left continues to register folks to vote.
By passing the SAVE Act, we can ensure only eligible Americans are
registering to vote. Americans deserve confidence in their elections.
We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent noncitizens from voting.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, you are going to hear a lot of fear-mongering rhetoric
from my colleagues across the aisle today.
They claim the American people have no confidence in our elections.
Where have we heard that one before? In 2020, Republican after
Republican debased themselves by parroting lies about the election, by
repeating claims they knew to be false.
They claimed that Americans had doubts about the election outcome,
knowing full well that those doubts only existed because of the easily
disproved conspiracy theories MAGA Republicans had been spreading.
Those same Republicans organized illegal efforts to subvert the
peaceful transfer of power that undergirds our cherished democracy.
There were criminal efforts to send false slates of electors to
Washington to steal the Presidency from Joe Biden. People have been
charged with crimes for these fake elector schemes, the very schemes
that MAGA Republicans cheered on.
More than that, the former administration used the levers of
government to try to retain their failing grip on power. Where is the
respect for law and order? Where is reverence for justice?
As criminal indictments have shown, there were coordinated,
intentional schemes among some in the White House and members of the
Department of Justice to override the will of the American people, to
suborn a coup d'etat right here in the United States.
The former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has stated publicly
that Pentagon officials feared that the former President would attempt
to use the military to stay in power. It is heartbreaking that this
happened in our country, but what happened next is even worse.
After witnessing these corrupt efforts to stay in power, this
downright shameful attempt to overthrow our system of government, what
did Republicans do? Did they defend this country from all enemies,
foreign and domestic? No, they cowered.
Speaker Johnson, joined by 126 House Republicans, filed an amicus
brief with the United States Supreme Court that attempted to throw out
millions of American votes. Where did this lead? To a violent and
deadly attack on this historic, majestic building, to our colleagues in
this very room, on both sides of the aisle, clad in escape hoods and
frantically calling loved ones, praying for divine deliverance.
As the mob stormed the Capitol, savagely beating police and calling
for the execution of the sitting Vice President of the United States,
the former President sat idly by. He did nothing to stop the attack. He
did nothing to try to save lives, to save the Republic. He watched
television in the White House for hours as the democracy was shaken to
its core.
As patriots like Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi begged for support from
the National Guard, from anyone, the former President did nothing.
Even the memories of that darkest of days haven't deterred
Republicans'

[[Page H4560]]

quest for power. They decided to try it all again.
Last month, a rogues' gallery of election deniers stood on the steps
of the Capitol, spreading more inaccuracies about the security of our
elections. They admitted that they had no evidence of noncitizen voting
in our elections, the same rhetoric that nearly broke our Nation 4
years ago.
Republicans' continued election denialism is akin to collective hero
syndrome, where individuals create harmful situations like lighting a
fire only to seek praise for putting the fire out.
This was a deeply dishonorable exercise when it began in 2020, and
the dishonor has not abated.
The SAVE Act, and all the untruthful rhetoric around it, is part of
the same project that election deniers began years ago. They are
continuing--indeed, they are magnifying--the collective delusion by
claiming that noncitizens are voting in Federal elections.
Simply put, they are not. It is against the law for noncitizens to
register to vote and to vote in Federal elections. Let me repeat this:
It is against the law for noncitizens to register to vote and to vote
in Federal elections.
The false claim that there is a conspiracy to register noncitizens is
a pretext for trying to overturn the 2024 election, potentially leading
to another tragedy on January 6, 2025.
Let's turn to the profoundly damaging bill in front of us, the so-
called SAVE Act. If I were to summarize what this bill does, I would
offer this description: It would create enormous burdens for those
registering to vote, erecting barriers that would shock most Americans,
including most Republicans.
To begin, as my Republican colleague admitted at the Rules Committee
on Monday, the SAVE Act will prohibit most Americans from registering
to vote with their driver's license alone. Yes, you heard that right.
The SAVE Act will bar Americans from using a standard State-issued
driver's license alone when registering to vote.
The bill will prohibit the use of the new and improved Real IDs for
over 95 percent of the American public, and this bill will apply to
every American citizen.
What is a citizen to do if they cannot use their Real ID-compliant
driver's license? The SAVE Act will allow Americans to use a passport
to register, but only 48 percent of Americans have a passport, so over
130 million Americans are out of luck.
Wait, as they say, there is more.
Can a member of our military use their military ID to register to
vote? Surely, military IDs will be enough to register to vote in our
elections. Not so. According to Republicans, servicemembers will need
to bring their military ID and a copy of their service record showing
their place of birth within the United States.
Many servicemembers were born abroad, say, to military parents
overseas. Those servicemembers will be entirely blocked from using
their military ID to register.
This bill requires any new registrant to show their proof of
citizenship in person at an election office. Any servicemember deployed
overseas who wants to register to vote will not be able to. No dice.
That is right. The SAVE Act will prevent members of our Armed Forces
deployed overseas from registering to vote.
Republicans are pushing a bill that will disenfranchise U.S. military
personnel protecting us overseas from registering. It is unpatriotic,
and it is shameful.
Wait, there is even more.
Native American voters will be unable to use their Tribal IDs to
register to vote unless their Tribal ID demonstrates their place of
birth in the United States.
Does every American's State or Tribal-issued ID show their place of
birth? The answer almost certainly is no.
What about birth certificates? Under this bill, one could present
their birth certificate alongside their photo ID, but herein lies the
problem: Tens of millions of Americans, particularly married women,
have a different name on their birth certificates than they have on
their photo IDs.

Under the terms of the SAVE Act, these millions of married women will
not be able to use their birth certificates to register to vote. The
bill would disenfranchise countless married women who are U.S.
citizens.
Let's be very clear: What is a voter supposed to do if they don't
have a passport? What if their Real ID, like almost every American,
does not show citizenship status? The SAVE Act will not allow them to
register, especially millions upon millions of American women,
students, servicemembers, Native voters, and many more.
This bill is not actually about preventing noncitizens from voting in
Federal elections. I will repeat what I said before: It is already
illegal for noncitizens to register and to vote in Federal elections.
We litigated this back in 2020 when Republicans alleged mass voter
fraud in State after State. Yet, every recount, audit, and lawsuit
demonstrated the 2020 election was fair and free from fraud. Our
Federal elections are safe and secure. It is that simple.
During today's debate, we will hear from my colleagues across the
aisle about the risk of noncitizens flooding our border and then
somehow registering and voting in Federal elections on a massive scale.
It is rich to hear so-called concern from the party that killed a
bipartisan border deal to address this problem.
My Democratic colleagues and I have clearly responded with the truth.
The American people know Republicans are misleading them. Here is what
the SAVE Act is actually about.
This bill is about scaring Americans. This bill is about silencing
Americans. This bill is about disenfranchising Americans. This bill is
about further damaging the foundations of our democracy.
As they look back on the wreckage they wrought 4 years ago,
Republicans are not chagrined. They are not ashamed. They are, in fact,
emboldened.
This is a deeply damaging bill. It will disenfranchise tens of
millions of Americans. It will disenfranchise military voters,
especially those serving bravely and courageously overseas. It will
disenfranchise married women who change their names.
It will disenfranchise rural voters. It will disenfranchise Native
voters, students, poor voters, and elderly voters. It will
disenfranchise survivors of natural disasters like so many are
experiencing this week across the United States.

{time} 1430

House Republicans are fine with increasing the burdens and amplifying
the costs in time, in money, and in effort for American citizens to
vote.
House Democrats are not.
This bill is an overt effort to make Americans believe that American
elections are rife with fraud. There is no evidence this is the case.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the defeat of this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Lee), who are not is the chair of the Subcommittee on
Elections.
Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this bill should not be
controversial. The vast majority of Americans agree that only U.S.
citizens should be voting in our elections.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act, is a crucial
piece of legislation that will protect our elections and ensure
American citizens have confidence in our elections system and that
their vote is not being canceled out by those who are not legally
eligible to vote.
As Florida's former Secretary of State, I oversaw all of Florida's
elections, working diligently to ensure that Floridians had accurate
and fair elections that they could be confident in.
Now as the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections chair, I am
working to advance policies that lead to stronger elections across our
Nation, like the SAVE Act.
While it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote, this legislation
provides much-needed enforcement and tools for States to verify that
their voter rolls are accurate and that illegal aliens are not slipping
through the cracks and voting.
We all know that President Biden's border crisis poses a clear threat
to our elections system as millions of illegal

[[Page H4561]]

aliens have poured into our country at record levels. In recent years,
election outcomes have included razor-thin margins. We must ensure that
Americans can trust our election administration process, and one of the
sure ways to accomplish that is by ensuring that noncitizens do not
vote in our Federal elections.
Recently, we have seen documented instances of noncitizen voting in
jurisdictions across the country, including right here in our Nation's
Capital.
That is unacceptable.
The SAVE Act will strengthen current law by requiring documentary
proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in Federal elections.
As a former elections official myself, I urge my colleagues to
support the SAVE Act to enhance election security, to minimize the risk
of foreign interference, and to restore Americans' confidence in U.S.
elections.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to just note something that has been talked about for some time which
is going back to an election that happened nearly 30 years ago in
California.
It talks about Representative Loretta Sanchez in her 1996 election in
California. My Republican colleagues continue to make allegations that
there were roughly 600 noncitizens who voted in the race. It is
patently false. The reality is the exact opposite. Many of the supposed
noncitizens identified in the contest had, in fact, already become U.S.
citizens through naturalization by the time they cast their ballots in
1996, and some had been U.S. citizens for decades.
Other U.S. citizens were erroneously identified as noncitizens
because their names were like noncitizens' names that were in an INS
database.
It is no accident. Even then, the Republicans were in charge of the
Committee on House Administration. They investigated it, and they
concluded that the committee's investigation had no irregularities.
They dismissed the contested election. They concluded that the outcome
of the election was not in doubt.
The fact that they would, 30 years later, bring up a contest that was
decided admittedly by a few votes, where claims of widespread
noncitizens voting has been thoroughly debunked says more about their
lack of evidence than it does anything else.
It simply does not happen, and there is no evidence that that is the
case.
I just use that as one more example of misleading the public into
believing something that is false is true.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the Northern
Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8281 would deny United States citizens
in my district their right to vote. This Delegate standing here
speaking in this Hall will be denied the right to vote for this seat.
So for that reason, I rise in opposition to the bill.
To register to vote, H.R. 8281 requires documentary proof of
citizenship issued by a State or a Tribal Government, but my
constituents do not live in a State. My constituents live in a U.S.
territory, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. So if my
constituents try to use a valid photo identification card issued by the
Commonwealth showing place of birth as the Northern Marianas, they
would be denied registration.
If I were to produce the Department of State-issued passport given to
Members of Congress, it says my place of birth is the Northern Mariana
Islands, and I will be denied the right to vote.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Norman). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands.
Mr. SABLAN. H.R. 8281 says unless the birth certificate was issued by
a State, you can't vote. The same is true for U.S. citizens in Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The same is true for all
naturalized U.S. citizens throughout the country. All will be denied
the right to vote because H.R. 8281 does not recognize these
territories as part of the United States, and people being born in
these territories are United States citizens.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this poorly drafted legislation.
I don't understand something that only Americans can vote and the U.S.
citizens who are not Americans cannot vote.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).
Mrs. BICE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Wisconsin for
yielding.
First, I want to say that my colleague on the other side of the aisle
referenced an issue with an election where 624 noncitizens illegally
voted. He suggested that that actually wasn't accurate.
So my question would be: What is an accurate number?
Because in my opinion, one person voting illegally in an election is
one too many.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the SAVE Act. Since
taking office, more than 9.6 million illegal immigrants have crossed
into the United States.
This crisis is not only a national security threat, but one that can
seriously alter the outcome of our elections.
We have seen efforts from States and localities, including the
District of Columbia, to allow noncitizens to vote.
Securing our elections is of paramount importance, and we must ensure
that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. The SAVE Act will strengthen
our election security, improve voter confidence, and ensure American
elections are only for American citizens.
Specifically, this legislation requires State election officials to
ask about citizenship before providing voter registration forms, and it
requires an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to
register to vote in Federal elections.
These commonsense solutions are not controversial, which is why I am
deeply concerned that the President of the United States has threatened
to veto this legislation. In fact, this step should alarm every citizen
living in this country.
We must ask: Why?
Why is this administration refusing to take steps to safeguard our
elections and protect the votes of every single American?
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the SAVE Act, and I look forward to
voting for it.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, to my dear friend from Oklahoma, what I was
suggesting was the Republican-controlled Committee on House
Administration reviewed the allegations that 600 people who were not
citizens had voted and ultimately made the determination that it was
without merit and seated the individual, the Democrat at that time, Ms.
Sanchez from California.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania
(Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, when we say that the right to
vote is under attack, we are not talking about hypotheticals. It is
under attack right now and right here with this very bill.
Republicans want to throw up barriers because when people vote, they
lose.
Let me be clear: They don't want you to vote. They don't want to hear
Black voices, Brown voices, LBGTQIA+ voices, or young voices. Our
fundamental access to our democracy is being politicized, and this
xenophobic attack that we are debating today will make it harder for
Americans to vote.
My Republican colleagues will claim that requiring IDs is a small
ask, but nearly 30 million people lack a valid driver's license, and 15
to 18 million of those adults don't have access to documents proving
their birth or citizenship.
Americans don't need more obstacles to vote. It is already hard
enough. That is why I am proud to have introduced the Right to Vote Act
with my colleagues, Assistant Leader Neguse and Senator Ossoff. This
bill would enshrine people's right to vote and prohibit governments on
all levels from restricting that right with bills like this one.
This bill is part of the Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman.
Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this bill is part of the
Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act. Along with the

[[Page H4562]]

John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, these are the types of bills
we should be bringing to the floor, not this nonsense.
Every day that we let rightwing Republicans pass laws like this that
restrict ballot access, reduce polling stations in Black neighborhoods,
or drown out our voices with big money campaigns, we fail the American
people.
Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this
harmful legislation.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Roy), who is the bill's sponsor.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for
yielding, I thank his committee for their great leadership in moving
this bill to the floor, and I thank the Speaker for his great work in
leading this important piece of legislation, the SAVE Act, which is
critical to ensure that only American citizens will vote in American
elections.
It is really that simple, but our Democratic colleagues and the
President of the United States are giving up the game. They are telling
the American people very plainly and clearly that it is their
preference that noncitizens vote in American elections.
That is their current position.
The fact of the matter is this administration and our colleagues on
the other side of the aisle have been damaging and breaking American
sovereignty for the entirety of this administration and before.
They are destroying our borders. They are allowing people to flood
into our country. Millions of people are being released into the United
States. Americans are getting killed. We are seeing abuse of Americans
throughout the country, and now all we simply want to do is ensure the
integrity of American elections.

What we see is absolute resistance and lies from our colleagues on
the other side of the aisle.
They want to go do the normal scare tactics that we are going to be
disenfranchising voters when, in fact, we are following the same
procedures that we have got in place in States all across the country
in requiring documentary proof that you are a citizen.
That is very simple. We do it on many different fronts. In this case,
you can provide a passport; you can provide documentation of your
military ID if it has your citizenship on it; REAL ID, you can go with
your driver's license; and you can produce your birth certificate.
Nevertheless, importantly, we have procedures in place that allow for
States to come up with ways to check Federal databases or to provide
other mechanisms and means provided that the State officials then sign
an affidavit saying that this is, in fact, a citizen.
The reality is there is going to be no disenfranchisement. The truth
is our colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not want us to
actually check citizenship.
I find it pretty amazing that the gentleman from New York is trying
to make a case out of the stealing of elections when it is he who
currently wants to be able to say right now that the current President
should not be the nominee of a party that just nominated that
President.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the passion of the distinguished gentleman
from Texas, who is the sponsor of the bill, but I have not heard anyone
dispute what I said in going through the incredibly burdensome path
that citizens, American citizens, will now have to take in order to
register to vote.
Your ID from your driver's license will not be sufficient if it
doesn't have your place of citizenship. Mr. Speaker, 95 percent or more
of REAL IDs, which will have replaced driver's licenses in many States,
do not list citizenship. Birth certificates will be okay unless your
name has been changed because you have gotten married. A military
voter, particularly one overseas who has no way to go physically to an
election office to register, will be unable to register to vote. The
military IDs will be insignificant, particularly if their military ID
and their service record don't show them as being born in the United
States.
Frankly, to be a citizen of the United States, you don't have to be
born on the continent or in Texas or Alaska or Hawaii. You have to be
born somewhere, but you can become a U.S. citizen after you are born.
So all I am saying is it is incredibly burdensome.
I would further say since there is no evidence that this happened,
all they talk about are scare tactics, the demonizing of people, and
saying that there is this effort, it sounds like there is a suggestion
that there is an organized effort to have noncitizens vote in Federal
elections.
There is absolutely no evidence that that is the case, and we have
had so many meetings of the standing committee and Subcommittee of the
House Administration on Elections, that I would think if there were
evidence of that, then it would have been presented to us.

{time} 1445

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez).
Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to another big
lie bill, this one H.R. 8281.
Mr. Speaker, we know that elections are the cornerstone of American
democracy, and it is our duty as Congress Members to protect every
American's constitutional right to vote.
The threat to Americans' constitutional right to vote today is the
Republican Party and H.R. 8281. In the long and consistent Republican
tradition of disenfranchising voters, the majority is pushing H.R. 8281
while simultaneously underfunding our election's infrastructure to
safeguard free and fair elections.
In their desperation to roll back the clock to a time when women,
people of color, and naturalized citizens couldn't vote, Republicans
have introduced countless bills based on mis- and disinformation to
erode the American people's trust in our elections and democratic
institutions.
Here is the bottom line: H.R. 8281 does nothing to make our elections
safer. It only perpetrates lies now to set up even bigger lies later
when Republicans are unhappy with the outcome of the November election.
How do I know that? The majority's own former President's appointed
commission to investigate claims of voter fraud by noncitizens was
disbanded without identifying one single case. If we believe in the
power of democracy, we should reject discriminatory rules rooted in
fear and division and instead increase protections and access.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans call this bill the SAVE Act. It should be
called the don't let Americans vote act, and so I rise here opposing
and asking my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Palmer).
Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, safe and secure elections are fundamental to
our Republic. Unfortunately, poll after poll is showing that Americans
have lost trust in our election process. It is time for us to act and
restore faith in that process.
One way to accomplish this is to limit American elections to American
citizens. It should be of great concern to all Americans that the Biden
administration, with the full support of my Democratic colleagues in
the House, has allowed millions of people to enter the United States
illegally.
Now Democrats want to leave the door open for noncitizens to
potentially register to vote. If we do not act to prohibit this, it
will further diminish American citizens' trust in our elections and
ultimately in our government.
The legislation before us rightly requires States to have individuals
provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote and to remove
noncitizens from their voter rolls. Americans being the ones to
determine the outcome of American elections should not be
controversial.
In an Oversight Committee hearing, I asked former directors of the
Census if they supported Federal laws that prohibit noncitizens from
running for office.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Alabama.
Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, in an Oversight Committee hearing, I asked

[[Page H4563]]

the former directors of the Census if they supported Federal laws that
prohibit noncitizens from running for office, making financial
contributions to candidates, and voting. All three said they support
these safeguards to our elections, and all three were Democratic
appointees.
Mr. Speaker, my question to my Democratic colleagues is: Do Democrats
support sensible safeguards for our elections? The minority can
demonstrate their support and their answer by voting for the SAVE Act.
I appreciate Representative Roy's leadership in this process and
Representative Steil's leadership and encourage all my colleagues to
vote for the SAVE Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Jeffries), our distinguished leader.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman, the
ranking member of the House Administration Committee, for his
tremendous leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this extreme MAGA
Republican voter suppression bill.
The right to vote is sacred. The right to vote is special. The right
to vote is sacrosanct. The right to vote is central to the integrity of
our democracy. It is the foundation of the principle of government of
the people, by the people, and for the people.
The problem is apparently my extreme MAGA Republican colleagues have
concluded that, rather than trying to win a debate and the hearts and
minds of the American people anchored in ideas, the majority has
instead chosen a strategy to engage in voter suppression. There is no
evidence that has been presented to suggest that undocumented
individuals have been participating in Federal elections. Republicans
who investigated these allegations on their own committee have been
unable to document these allegations.
It is unconstitutional. It is the state of the law that only citizens
can vote in Federal elections. Only citizens can vote for the House of
Representatives. Only citizens can vote for the United States Senate.
Only citizens can vote for the Presidency of the United States.
This extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill is not designed
to solve any problem on behalf of the American people. It is designed
to jam people up and prevent Americans from voting.
The extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill will not allow
Americans to vote who have a State-issued driver's license.
The extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill will not allow
Americans who are serving in the military to use their military ID
while they are serving this country to vote.

The extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill won't allow young
people, college students who are attending State universities all
across the land and who have been issued college IDs through their
State colleges and universities, to vote.
There is a big difference between the House Democratic view of free
and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power, and government of
the people, by the people, and for the people, and the extreme MAGA
Republican view.
House Democrats want to make it easier to vote and harder to obtain
weapons of war. Extreme MAGA Republicans want to make it harder to vote
and easier to deploy weapons of war. These are weapons, by the way, not
used to hunt deer, but to hunt children in classrooms and other human
beings.
The extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill has given us an
opportunity again to communicate with the American people on the
difference between our values, House Democrats putting people over
politics, focused on the things that matter, like lower costs, growing
the middle class, ending price gouging, defending democracy, and
fighting for reproductive freedom.
We embrace having a debate with our extreme MAGA Republican
colleagues about issues that matter. Why won't Republicans just take
their issues to the American people? Why are my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle trying to hide their plans that are connected to
Trump's Project 2025 publicly, but then come to the House floor and
bring this extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill that is part
of the blueprint of Trump's Project 2025? The majority can't fool the
American people. They are smarter than my colleagues think.
Republicans don't want to have a real debate about issues because the
extreme MAGA Republicans want to criminalize abortion care and impose a
nationwide ban. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying
to hide that now from the American people, stripping it from their
convention platform.
We know what Republicans really want to do. The extreme MAGA
Republicans put the Justices on the Supreme Court who detonated Roe v.
Wade. That is Republicans' agenda. That is part of Trump's Project
2025.
Republicans don't want to debate the issues. My colleagues on the
other side of the aisle want to suppress the right to vote because
Trump's Project 2025, which is part of the majority's platform, wants
to detonate and destroy the Department of Education, which the American
people don't support.
Republicans don't really want to embrace the ability for young people
of every race, of every part of America, including the heartland of
America and rural America and Appalachia and suburban America, to get a
high-quality public education. That is what Trump's Project 2025 is
about.
The majority doesn't want to have a discussion about that. My
colleagues don't want that exposed to the American people, so we are on
the floor right now with an extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression
bill that does nothing because the law is already clear: Noncitizens
cannot vote in Federal elections.
We are going to continue to do everything we can to make sure that
the American people can participate in free and fair elections, have
the freedom to determine their own destiny by exercising their right to
vote in an uncompromised and unfettered fashion, as opposed to engaging
in this type of frivolous legislative activity, at best, perhaps
designed as a cover already trying to set up an excuse for what may
happen in November, just like what was done in advance of January 6.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, the right to vote is sacrosanct, and that is
why we need to protect it for U.S. citizens.
In New York City, a law was passed to allow noncitizens to vote in
municipal elections. Here in our Nation's Capital, 143 Democrats voted
to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections here in our
Nation's Capital.
In the State of New York, there is no photo ID requirement. If there
was, it should be noted that the State of New York provides drivers'
licenses to illegal immigrants. It is the reason that the SAVE Act is
necessary, to make sure that we are protecting U.S. elections for U.S.
citizens only.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
D'Esposito), a great State.
Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I have to disagree with Leader
Jeffries. He claims that Republicans don't want to debate the issues.
There was a debate 2 weeks ago. There was a winner of that debate, and
that debate has sent Democrats into disarray.
I also want to counteract the claim that there are laws in place.
President Biden has made his entire administration about not following
or enforcing laws, and that is one of the reasons as to why the SAVE
Act is so important.
Under the Biden administration and the failed policies, there has
been over 10 million people that have come across our southern border
illegally. In March of 2021, President Biden issued an executive order
promoting access to voting, requiring Federal agencies to assist States
with voter registration.
We do not have concrete methods to ensure illegals do not vote in
Federal elections. The SAVE Act ensures that only United States
citizens can vote in elections. Quite frankly, it is insane that we are
even having this debate. We should all agree that only those who are
citizens of this great country can vote in our elections.
It also expands Federal databases, such as DHS' SAVE database, Social
Security databases, and others, to prove citizenship and assist States.
Joe Biden's open-border policy has put America in a position where

[[Page H4564]]

illegals could potentially vote in elections. It is bad for election
integrity, it is bad for democracy, and it is unfair to the American
people.
Mr. Speaker, before Joe Biden, citizenship mattered in the United
States of America, and citizenship should matter once again.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I do agree with my distinguished colleague
and friend from New York. I don't know why we are having this bill on
the floor either. Yes, we can all agree that only U.S. citizens vote in
Federal elections. I know that we agree because it is the law of the
land.

{time} 1500

You can't register if you are not an American citizen to vote in a
Federal election. It is against the law. It is also against the law to
vote. I agree with him. There is no reason to be here. There is nothing
to be gained. There is no problem to be solved.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms.
McClellan).
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, voting rights are sacrosanct and they are
personal to many of us.
Over 150 years ago, Black men were allowed to vote for the first time
in this country. Thousands were elected to office, particularly across
the South, including into this body, including one of my predecessors,
John Mercer Langston, the first Black man elected to Congress from
Virginia. I stand here as the first Black woman elected to Congress
from Virginia. I am the great-granddaughter of a man, who after
reconstruction when voter suppression laws passed across the South, had
to take a literacy test and find three White men to vouch for his
character to be able to vote. He was an American citizen.
I stood in the well and took my oath of office on March 7, 2023, on
my father's Bible. Inside that Bible, he kept the poll tax receipt from
when he registered to vote, and his father paid a poll tax. I kept
that. He kept it in the Bible to remind himself of the barriers put in
place to him, an American citizen, to vote.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Strong). The time of the gentlewoman has
expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Virginia.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, this bill is essentially a poll tax
because I am not aware of a single proof of citizenship document that
does not cost an individual money to get, unless we are requiring every
State to provide one for free, and then it is an unfunded mandate. This
is the 2024 version of the Jim Crow poll tax, and we should vote
against it.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Self).
Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Congressman Roy's bill to
save our elections from illegal alien interference.
Sacrosanct voting is only theory unless we protect the election
process.
Over the past 3\1/2\ years, President Biden has deliberately thrown
the border open to over 11 million illegal aliens, many of whom now
have Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, and other government-
issued IDs, which enable them to vote in our U.S. Federal elections.
Today, many States and municipalities have no way to detect whether
an individual with a government-issued ID is a U.S. citizen or not. In
some States, any noncitizen can simply check ``yes'' on one box: ``Are
you a citizen of the United States,'' and boom, they are a registered
voter.
This is not right. If you are here illegally and interfere in our
elections, you deserve a pair of handcuffs, not an ``I voted'' sticker.
We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent these loopholes from debasing
and ultimately destroying our election system.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Alabama (Ms. Sewell), my friend.
Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, as a daughter of Selma and a Representative
of Alabama's Civil Rights District, the fight for voting rights is very
personal to me.
It was in Selma where hundreds of Foot Soldiers like John Lewis shed
blood on a bridge for the equal right of all Americans to vote. They
marched, they bled, they prayed, and some even died for the right to
vote.
Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today makes a mockery of their
legacy. House Republicans' so-called SAVE Act is a dangerous
antidemocratic bill that would do nothing to protect our elections.
While our colleagues across the aisle claim that this bill will
prevent noncitizens from voting, we know that it is already illegal for
noncitizens to vote in Federal elections. In fact, under current law,
noncitizens would face up to 5 years in prison for attempting to vote
in Federal elections and even risk being deported.
In reality, this legislation would purge thousands of eligible voters
from the rolls, including Americans who recently got married or changed
their last names and those with military and Tribal IDs.
Americans should see this bill for what it is, a cynical attempt to
sow doubt in the minds of voters about the integrity of our elections.
It is yet another attempt to fan the flames of election denial by the
same extremists who brought us the January 6th insurrection.
Mr. Speaker, we are elected officials who should be fighting to
protect and expand access to the ballot box, not restrict it. We should
be working to advance the progress made by the civil rights and voting
rights movement rather than rolling it back.
Let's be clear, the biggest threat to our elections is not noncitizen
voting; it is the lack of Federal oversight which has allowed States to
advance hundreds of new laws and new bills making it harder for
Americans to vote.
Mr. Speaker, the House should be considering H.R. 14, the John Robert
Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which I introduced in September.
H.R. 14 would restore Federal oversight. It would establish a new
formula to protect and prevent States with a recent history of voter
discrimination from restricting voter access.
In doing so, it would protect access to the ballot box for every
eligible American.
With State lawmakers working overtime to erect barriers to the ballot
box, the need for Federal voting rights protections is just as urgent
today as it was 60 years ago. After all, it is up to the voters to
choose our elected leaders, not the other way around.
Never did I think that 60 years after John Lewis was bludgeoned on a
bridge in my hometown of Selma, Alabama, that I would be fighting to
restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It goes
to show that progress is elusive, and every generation must fight to
preserve the progress of the past and to advance it. John Lewis didn't
give up and neither will we.

Mr. Speaker, House Republicans' so-called SAVE Act is a dangerous
antidemocratic bill that has no place on this floor. It is for that
reason that at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit
this bill back to the committee. I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting the motion to recommit.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 4 minutes
remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 14 minutes
remaining.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Hunt).
Mr. HUNT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8281, the SAVE
Act.
For years, Democrats have called Republicans conspiracy theorists for
stating Democrats want illegal aliens to vote in our elections. Yet,
President Biden and every single Democrat in Washington want this bill
to fail.
If Biden and the Democrats want to clear up this conspiracy theory,
the President, when this bill passes, needs to sign it into law.
On another note, I have been Black for my entire life. The most
racist thing I have ever heard is the insinuation by Democrats that
Black and Brown Americans are too stupid to get

[[Page H4565]]

an ID to vote just like everybody else. I call this the soft bigotry of
low expectations.
Figuring out how to vote in this country is a very low bar, and we
could all figure it out regardless of your race, religion, color, or
creed, and we should all want free and fair elections.
With me today are six forms of government-issued ID that I won't pull
out at this time. How did I acquire that? It is by personal
responsibility in this country.
I have also heard a lot about Jim Crow here today. I am here to tell
you Jim Crow is over, and I know it because my parents grew up in it. I
think it is absolutely insulting to those that actually experienced the
ills of Jim Crow.
Having an ID to vote in our Nation's elections should be a
requirement, which is why I stand before you today urging my colleagues
on the left to support this bill. If you want secure elections, if you
want your vote to count, vote for the SAVE Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I think it bears repeating. We are suggesting that every
American, if this bill were to become law, would face enormous burdens
with registering to vote. You can't vote, you can't cast a ballot if
you can't register.
Let's take again the situation as it will relate to military
personnel of the United States. The SAVE Act will prohibit any
servicemember deployed overseas from registering to vote at all. That
is what the bill says. Check it out.
You have to be in person. You may not register online, and there is
no exception in the bill for a servicemember to do that. It requires
Americans registering to vote by mail or online to present their proof
of citizenship in person.
Good luck doing that if you are on a naval vessel in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean. That applies to military personnel. It means that
any servicemember deployed overseas will have to travel back to the
United States and physically visit an election office to register to
vote.
You don't think that is burdensome? You don't think most Americans,
if they were watching this debate, would say that can't be right? It
can't be right, but it is right. That is what the bill says.
Republicans are supporting a bill that would prohibit members of the
military serving overseas from registering to vote while they are
deployed. It is unpatriotic. It is outrageous. Also, they won't even
allow any amendments to this bill, which we asked for. We asked for
amendments which would make this better, although, frankly, it is hard
to imagine that we could make this any better, but still no amendments
were allowed. I asked for a structured rule on this and was denied the
ability to do that.
The Freedom to Vote Act by Congress would expand the ability of every
American, including our servicemembers, to register to vote online. We
want members of the military to vote. Frankly, we want every American
to vote. If we have a problem in America, it is that too few Americans
are voting, not that people who aren't registered or who aren't
American citizens are voting. That is not the problem.

This committee and this House and this body ought to be working on
ways to expand the franchise to every American because every right that
we possess in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution is dependent upon
our right to self-governance, and our ability to have self-governance
flows from the ability for every American to vote. This bill puts
enormous burdens and barriers to making that the reality.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New
York (Ms. Malliotakis).
Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, if anyone is wondering why we need a
bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote, look no further than my
home, New York City, where in 2021, the city council under Mayor Bill
de Blasio passed legislation allowing noncitizens who have resided in
our city for just 30 days to vote in municipal elections.
Not only this, but in November, after our office obtained copies of
migrant shelter contracts by Freedom of Information Act requests, we
discovered that New York City included a provision requiring
contractors to distribute voter registration forms, assist in voter
registration, and promote campaign material within the shelter
themselves, all while prohibiting city agencies from asking about
citizenship status in the same contract.
As a daughter of immigrants who came to this Nation legally and
earned their right to vote, I have joined city and State leaders as a
plaintiff in a lawsuit to stop New York City's misguided voting law. We
have won not once, but twice; however, we continue to fight because the
city continues to waste taxpayer dollars to appeal the ruling. This is
why we need this bill today.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New
York (Ms. Tenney).
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair and founder of the House
Election Integrity Caucus, I rise in support of the SAVE Act, which
will safeguard the right for every American citizen to vote. We must
have proof of citizenship in order to vote.
Since President Biden took office, there have been over 9.7 million
illegal immigrant encounters across our Nation, threatening our
communities, our national security, and now the Democrats are
attempting to undermine our elections. There are over 2 million so-
called got-aways.
Many States, including New York, allow illegal immigrants to get
registered to vote and also have driver's licenses. There is no
requirement, they are on their honor, to prove whether or not they are
actually citizens of this country.
Article II of the New York State Constitution sets forth in section
1: ``Every citizen shall be entitled to vote in every election.'' That
is citizens.
In order to protect the sacred right to vote, we have one citizen,
one vote in this country. Yet, Democrats oppose the SAVE Act because
they want millions of illegal immigrants they allowed into our country
to vote in order to undermine and manipulate the outcome of our
elections.
This will undermine our sacred right to vote, the most profound
expression of our self-governance.

{time} 1515

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the
time.
My friends on the other side of the aisle say: Well, it is against
the law for people here illegally to register to vote. It is against
the law, Mr. Speaker, for them to vote. It is against the law.
Do you know what else is against the law? Coming into our country
illegally, but, oh my goodness, who knew? It happens.
As the past speaker just said, we have the honor system. Do you know
how to register to vote? Just sign it and say, ``I can vote.'' That is
how to do the honor system.
Mr. Speaker, let me tell you who we are providing the honor system
to: people who human traffic, drug dealers, cartel members, people on
the terrorist watch list.
Mr. Speaker, do we want to count on the honor system to have those
folks, people coming from the Communist Party of China, from Russia,
our adversaries, our enemies, selecting the leaders of our country?
That is what they are telling you right now. That is exactly what they
are saying.
By the way, this whole thing about military members can't vote,
someone can come here illegally and serve in the fire department, in
the soup kitchen, in any number of places, including the military,
without being an American citizen. I have been overseas, and I have
voted as an American military citizen.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Nehls).
Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, it is good to see so many people up in the
gallery. What a great day. I can tell you something: Our democracy is
at stake. Let me tell you exactly why.
President Biden has released millions of illegal aliens into the
United States,

[[Page H4566]]

and he has done catastrophic damage to our great country in just 3
years.
Why would a guy do this? Why would he do such a thing? Make no
mistake--everybody listening, make no mistake--this administration is
facilitating an invasion of our country to import new voters. He wants
new voters. He wants to establish one-party rule, and it is all by
design. I repeat, it is all by design.
Thankfully, this legislation before us today would ensure that only
American citizens are eligible to vote. Protecting our Nation's
election integrity should not be a partisan issue, yet here we are.
Remember when my friends on the left falsely claimed the 2016
election was stolen due to foreign election interference? Russia,
Russia, Russia. Lies, lies by the left.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this great
legislation.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).
Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, in 2004, Arizona voters approved a ballot
measure requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
Today, Arizona has two voter registration forms. There is one for
those who can provide proof of citizenship, and those voters can vote
in all offices, State and Federal. The other voter registration form is
for people who don't show any proof of citizenship. Those voters are
allowed to vote in Federal elections. The number of Arizona voter
registration forms where voters don't show proof of citizenship has
skyrocketed in Arizona to 35,000 forms.
Arizona voters and the Arizona Legislature have tried everything to
ensure only citizens can vote. Arizona and the Nation need Congress to
pass the SAVE Act so we can ensure only U.S. citizens vote in our
elections, as required by law.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I do note that my friends and colleagues on the other side have
turned this into a discussion about immigration and the border, which
is not the bill before the House. The reason I know that is because
they were too embarrassed, perhaps, or perhaps were influenced by folks
outside this Chamber to bring a bipartisan border deal that would have
dealt with challenges at the border.
They didn't want to do that, so what are they doing? They are making
this burdensome bill now a question of the border. They had their
chance to do that. We would love them to do that. What they will do
instead is demonize people and talk about a problem that doesn't exist.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, with the Biden
administration's allowance of 10 million illegals into the country, the
immigration issue does have a bearing on this issue.
Radical, progressive Democrats answer the merits of this legislation
with logical fallacies. The 2020 election was perfect, they say;
therefore, we should not think about, act to end, or prevent unlawful
voting by noncitizens, should not speak of the possibility, should
avoid the issue entirely, all to improve Americans' confidence in
elections.
Since noncitizen voting is unlawful, they say, it does not occur.
Since undetectable conduct in the ordinary course is not evidenced by
huge masses of evidence, then the absence of evidence is evidence of
absence.
In other words, Biden debate logic. Every vote cast by an illegal
alien cancels out the vote of an American citizen, and with millions of
``newcomers'' flooded into the country by the Biden administration, the
threat is greater than ever.

Without secure elections, the American experiment is finished. We
must pass the SAVE Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Williams).
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8281,
the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
It should not be controversial to say that Americans should decide
who Americans vote for. As a former Texas secretary of state, I know
the importance of election security.
Now more than ever, with Biden's border invasion releasing millions
of illegal immigrants into our country, we must ensure that only
American citizens can vote.
The SAVE Act does just that. This legislation will require proof of
citizenship for voters to register for Federal elections and will
empower States to clean up their voter rolls. It is critical that we
safeguard our elections.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to put America first and pass the
SAVE Act. In God we trust.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
The SAVE Act is the most severe voter suppression bill ever
considered at the Federal level. It would make it burdensome for
Americans to register to vote and to cast a ballot.
It has been brought before this body not to solve any problem, since
Republicans have admitted they have no evidence of noncitizen voting in
Federal elections. The bill before us is for Republicans to lay the
groundwork to undermine the outcome of the Presidential election, just
as they did 4 years ago, just as they will again and again until they
realize either the futility of this exercise or the Republic crumbles.
I pray for the former.
Democrats, on the other hand, want a stronger and more equitable
democracy, one that respects the rule of law and ensures that every
voice is heard. That is why Democrats champion bills like the Freedom
to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the
Native American Voting Rights Act, not the SAVE Act.
I fiercely oppose this anti-American bill. I urge every one of my
colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, to support the motion to
recommit and defeat this extremist SAVE Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
This is our opportunity to safeguard American elections for American
citizens. We have heard time and again from those on the other side of
the aisle that this problem doesn't exist; yet, in our committee
hearings, we have shown where noncitizens have voted in U.S. elections,
whether it is the 1996 election in California, fully investigated by
this House, or Fairfax, Virginia, which in 2011 found 278 noncitizens
were on the voter rolls and determined 117 of those individuals had
voted illegally, or counties across the country. Chicago, Illinois; San
Diego County, California; and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, all found
noncitizens had participated in Federal elections.
This is our opportunity to make sure that U.S. elections are for U.S.
citizens.
We have also heard that it is already illegal in Federal elections
for individuals who are not citizens to vote. That is true, but it is
also illegal to cross the border into the United States illegally. That
hasn't stopped millions of individuals.
This is our opportunity to safeguard our elections, to make sure that
U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the
SAVE Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1341, the previous question is ordered
on the bill, as amended.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.

Motion to Recommit

Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:

Ms. Sewell of Alabama moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8281
to the Committee on House Administration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.

[[Page H4567]]

The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

____________________