Sen. Mike Lee urges passage of Save Act, ties it to election integrity and founding principles

Senator Mike Lee urged supporters at a Utah Eagle Forum event to back the Save Act, saying the measure would require people to "establish the fact that you're a US citizen before you may register to vote in any US election." He framed the proposal as part of a broader effort to protect the United States in its 250th year by returning to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Lee opened by recalling the founders' sacrifices and urging attendees to re-read the Declaration's first two sections. He described the Constitution as a "frame" designed to preserve popular sovereignty and limit governmental power, then warned that the growth of federal regulations and unelected agencies has eroded that structure: "A short stack of documents consists of the laws passed by Congress last year," he said, contrasting that with what he described as a "13 feet tall" stack of rules and regulations created by bureaucrats.

Turning to voting policy, Lee described the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (the Motor Voter law) and said a later Supreme Court ruling now prevents states from asking follow-up questions or requesting proof of citizenship when someone checks a citizenship box while applying for a driver's license. He argued that, combined with permissive state driver's-license rules and recent federal border policies, the system invites fraud. "Fast forward a couple more years, Joe Biden opens the gates of our borders and fights in, many millions," Lee said, adding, "some say it's maybe 10,000,000, others say 15,000,000. Nobody knows exactly how many." He cited recent examples from Minnesota as, in his words, evidence of the problem.

Lee said the Save Act is a straightforward fix: require proof of citizenship before allowing voter registration through federal or state mechanisms tied to driver's-license applications. "The Save Act requires something incredibly simple ... establish the fact that you're a US citizen before you may register to vote in any US election," he said, urging passage of the bill.

He emphasized that the speech was not only about policy but about civic memory: invoking George Washington's decision to return power to the people, Lee said Americans should be "grateful" and engaged, reminding citizens to read, vote and "stand up for the Constitution." He closed by thanking the audience and his wife, Sharon.

No votes or formal actions on the Save Act were recorded in the event transcript; Lee used the platform to advocate for the bill and to make several factual claims about court rulings, NVRA implementation and migration numbers that he presented as reasons to pass new federal requirements.