Hill Country Chronicle

Rep. Chip Roy has reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, aimed at ensuring that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. The bill, known as H.R. 22 in the 119th Congress, seeks to strengthen existing laws by requiring states to verify citizenship before voter registration and remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

Roy stated, “American elections belong to American citizens, and the public's confidence in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic." He emphasized the importance of preventing foreign nationals from influencing U.S. elections and expressed his intent to work with Senate Republicans to advance the bill.

Senator Mike Lee, who introduced a companion bill in the Senate, noted, "Public trust in the integrity of our elections is absolutely essential for the legitimacy of our democratic institutions." He supports giving states tools to prevent illegal voter registration.

The SAVE Act previously passed in the House but was blocked by Senate Democrats. Rep. Andrew Garbarino criticized local policies allowing non-citizens to vote and argued for maintaining election integrity through proof of citizenship requirements.

Supporters include various representatives such as Nicole Malliotakis and Brad Finstad. Cleta Mitchell from Only Citizens Vote Coalition called for continued momentum on this legislation, while Heritage Action's Ryan Walker highlighted its significance for electoral integrity.

Jenny Beth Martin from Tea Party Patriots Action supported requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration as a measure against election interference. Chris Chmielenski from Immigration Accountability Project also endorsed it as a solution against noncitizen voting.

AMAC Action Chairwoman Rebecca Weber praised the SAVE Act as crucial for addressing illegal voter registration issues stemming from immigration policies. She affirmed AMAC’s support for reinforcing citizen-only participation in elections.