Lawmaker urges passage of Save America Act to require photo ID at federal polls
April 23, 2026 | Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Senate Committees, U.S. Senate, Legislative, Federal
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A lawmaker urged the Senate to approve the Save America Act, saying it would require voters in federal elections to show photo identification and would "protect the integrity of elections." The speaker framed the measure as aligning federal practice with common everyday ID requirements.
The lawmaker said the bill would not make voting harder and argued it would "ensure[] that only American citizens vote in American elections." He cited claimed public support for the measure, saying, "71% of Democrats, 95% of Republicans agree you should have to show a photo ID when you go to vote." He added that photo ID requirements are not new and noted that the policy already exists in many states.
On the question of voters who lack documents, the lawmaker described an alternative verification process included in the bill: "if you're a citizen and you've lost your documents or never had them, you can go to a state election official, swear to the details of your birth date and location or naturalization details, and register to vote." He cited Louisiana as having that option and said the bill builds that alternative process into federal law.
The speaker criticized Senate Democrats for opposing the measure, saying Democrats are "dead set on pleasing, appeasing a small left wing base" and suggested they were offering objections despite the alternative process. He urged the body to "serve the will of the American people," asserting the bill's popularity and the need for a secure election.
The lawmaker also expressed support for using a talking filibuster to press for the bill's passage, saying he has "supported the talking filibuster since my first day as a senator in 2015" and invoking the example of extended floor speeches. He closed his remarks by saying, "We should pass it." No vote or formal action on the bill is recorded in the provided transcript.
The Senate transcript records advocacy for the Save America Act and the speaker's account of how the bill would handle voters without documentation; it does not include debate from other senators, independent verification of the public-opinion figures cited, or a formal procedural outcome.
The lawmaker said the bill would not make voting harder and argued it would "ensure[] that only American citizens vote in American elections." He cited claimed public support for the measure, saying, "71% of Democrats, 95% of Republicans agree you should have to show a photo ID when you go to vote." He added that photo ID requirements are not new and noted that the policy already exists in many states.
On the question of voters who lack documents, the lawmaker described an alternative verification process included in the bill: "if you're a citizen and you've lost your documents or never had them, you can go to a state election official, swear to the details of your birth date and location or naturalization details, and register to vote." He cited Louisiana as having that option and said the bill builds that alternative process into federal law.
The speaker criticized Senate Democrats for opposing the measure, saying Democrats are "dead set on pleasing, appeasing a small left wing base" and suggested they were offering objections despite the alternative process. He urged the body to "serve the will of the American people," asserting the bill's popularity and the need for a secure election.
The lawmaker also expressed support for using a talking filibuster to press for the bill's passage, saying he has "supported the talking filibuster since my first day as a senator in 2015" and invoking the example of extended floor speeches. He closed his remarks by saying, "We should pass it." No vote or formal action on the bill is recorded in the provided transcript.
The Senate transcript records advocacy for the Save America Act and the speaker's account of how the bill would handle voters without documentation; it does not include debate from other senators, independent verification of the public-opinion figures cited, or a formal procedural outcome.
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