House Approves GOP Bill Requiring Voter Citizenship Proof/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The U.S. House passed a GOP-backed bill requiring proof of citizenship to register for federal elections. The legislation, a key priority for former President Donald Trump, faces strong Democratic opposition and likely Senate resistance. Critics argue the bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters lacking documentation.
House Passes Citizenship Voting Bill: Quick Looks
- House Republicans passed the SAVE Act, mandating proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration.
- The bill fulfills a major part of Trump’s 2025 election reform agenda.
- It would require in-person documentation, like passports or birth certificates, to register federally.
- Democrats warn it could disenfranchise up to 21.3 million eligible Americans.
- The bill faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, where GOP holds a narrow majority.
- Critics cite past examples, like Kansas’ 2011 law, which blocked thousands of eligible voters.
- Republican supporters say the bill would prevent noncitizen voting, which is already illegal.
- The bill includes exceptions for name changes and state-level discretion in compliance methods.
- Voting rights groups argue the bill creates excessive bureaucracy and red tape.
- The legislation aligns with Trump’s recent executive order on federal election reforms.
House Approves GOP Bill Requiring Voter Citizenship Proof
Deep Look
In a highly charged vote, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals registering to vote in federal elections—a central pillar of Donald Trump’s post-presidency policy agenda and a focal point for GOP-led election reforms in 2025.
The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), passed along mostly party lines. It seeks to enforce a mandatory requirement for documentary proof of citizenship, such as a U.S. passport or government-issued photo ID paired with a certified birth certificate, to be presented in person when registering to vote using the federal voter registration form.
“This is about protecting the value of every citizen’s vote,” said Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), chairman of the House Committee on Administration. “If a noncitizen casts a ballot, that cancels out a legal citizen’s vote.”
The bill follows a broader executive order issued by Trump last month, which called for sweeping changes to federal election rules, including enhanced ID and citizenship verification.
This marks the second time House Republicans have passed the SAVE Act. Last year’s version stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Even with Republicans narrowly winning the Senate in 2024, the current version still faces an uphill battle due to the need for 60 votes to override a filibuster.
Democrats and voting rights advocates blasted the legislation as unnecessary and potentially harmful, arguing that it risks disenfranchising millions of American citizens, particularly marginalized groups and those without easy access to required documents.
A 2023 analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that 21.3 million voting-age citizens—approximately 9% of the U.S. adult population—lack immediate access to documentary proof of citizenship. Almost half of Americans do not have a valid U.S. passport, a common form of citizenship verification.
“This bill creates a bureaucratic nightmare,” said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking Democrat on the House committee. “It imposes unnecessary red tape and hurdles for law-abiding citizens who are simply trying to register and vote.”
Historical examples bolster Democratic concerns. In Kansas, a similar law passed in 2011 under then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach resulted in over 31,000 eligible voter registrations being blocked. The law was ultimately declared unconstitutional in federal court and struck down in 2018.
Critics also highlighted real-world complications, especially for women and individuals with name changes. In New Hampshire, a new state proof-of-citizenship law caused confusion during recent town elections. One woman, unable to produce a decades-old marriage certificate reflecting her name change, was prevented from registering or voting.
However, Republican sponsors insist the law offers flexibility. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who authored the bill, emphasized that states would retain discretion over how to accommodate voters with name changes or incomplete documents.
“The truth is, no currently registered voter would be purged or prevented from voting,” Roy said. “States will have leeway to handle edge cases. This is about securing the process going forward.”
Despite the political divide, noncitizen voting remains illegal nationwide and is already subject to prosecution, including felony charges and deportation. Instances of such voting have been extremely rare, according to multiple election studies.
Even some election officials—particularly in battleground states—have dismissed the bill as unnecessary. Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State, described the bill as “fear-mongering wrapped in paperwork.”
“What it is doing is capitalizing on fear — fear built on a lie,” Fontes said. “And the lie is that a whole bunch of ineligible people are voting. That’s just not true.”
Still, the SAVE Act aligns with long-standing conservative concerns about election integrity and plays well with Trump’s base. With Trump running for re-election and continuing to question the outcomes of past elections, the legislation could become a key wedge issue in the months ahead.
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