House Republicans plan a vote next week on the SAVE America Act, a voting requirements bill that would pair proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration with a nationwide voter ID mandate at the polls, as GOP leaders try to pressure the Senate while lawmakers race toward a mid-February deadline to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded.
President Donald Trump has pushed Republicans to move the bill, writing on Truth Social that "America's Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World" and urging the party to fight for voter ID, proof of citizenship for registration, and limits on mail voting in federal elections.
The House push comes after Congress and Trump ended a four-day partial government shutdown this week by passing a spending deal that restored funding for several agencies and temporarily extended Homeland Security funding until Feb. 13.
Senate Democrats have pressed for new limits on immigration enforcement, including requiring judicial warrants and tighter verification before detentions, banning agents from wearing face coverings, and restricting enforcement near "sensitive locations" such as schools, hospitals, churches, and polling places, after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had argued Republicans should attach the voting bill to the Homeland Security funding package and dare Senate Democrats to block it, but The Hill reported she backed off after meeting with Trump.
House conservatives are also urging Senate Republicans to force a so-called talking filibuster, requiring opponents to hold the floor in continuous debate rather than relying on the Senate’s current 60-vote threshold for ending debate on most legislation.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, echoed that push in posts from his X account, saying this Feb, 3, "We are closer than ever to voting on the SAVE Act in the Senate. We are closer than ever to forcing Democrats to filibuster 24/7 on the Senate floor, telling the American people why they don’t deserve secure elections, until they drop. We are closer than ever to victory."
"The Senate should debate this next week with the standing filibuster. It is time to force every senator to explain why you don't need to be a citizen or prove who you are to vote!!" He said Feb. 5.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Lee introduced the updated SAVE America Act in late January.
Roy’s office said the new bill adds a voter ID requirement for federal elections while keeping the proof-of-citizenship requirement for registration.
A prior version, the SAVE Act, passed the House in April 2025 on a 220-208 vote, with four Democrats joining Republicans, and then it stalled in the Senate. The bill would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
However, noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal under federal law.
Luna has also floated using must-pass legislation as leverage, including the upcoming reauthorization debate over FISA Section 702, which the Congressional Research Service says will sunset on April 20 without further action by Congress.
Voting-rights and election-law groups have warned that proof-of-citizenship requirements could create documentation hurdles for some eligible voters, particularly when people update registrations after moving or changing names.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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