Hill Country Chronicle

Congressman Chip Roy recently authored an op-ed in The Federalist, addressing claims about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Roy aimed to clarify misconceptions, particularly accusations by critics, including Hillary Clinton, who argue that the SAVE Act could disenfranchise certain voter groups.

Roy stated, "Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which I proudly co-authored with my friend, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. The SAVE Act passed the House on a bipartisan basis, an inconvenient fact for Democrat leaders’ chosen narrative attacking it."

One criticism from opponents like Clinton is that the bill may prevent married women, or those who have changed their name, from voting. Roy countered, "Nothing could be further from the truth. The SAVE Act secures all Americans’ votes by ensuring noncitizens do not vote in federal elections, effectively canceling out the votes of citizens, including married women."

The op-ed further explains that the SAVE Act modifies the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to necessitate proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. Roy refuted comparisons of the Act to a "poll tax" or "Jim Crow 2.0," citing that such claims have been previously raised against other election integrity laws that resulted in increased voter participation, as seen in Georgia.

Roy argued, "The left loves nothing more than invoking tiresome rhetorical tactics involving race or sex to stir up controversy against common-sense proposals. But Clinton’s argument that the SAVE Act will disenfranchise married women is not grounded in reality."

He assured voters, "First, married women who have changed their name and already registered to vote — millions, mind you — are utterly unaffected by the SAVE Act."

Roy highlighted the provision for those who have not updated their name on citizenship documents, where the Act directs states to create processes to accommodate their registration, considering the state-specific nature of name-change procedures.

In conclusion, Roy warned of the implications of noncitizen voting, referencing cases of indictments for illegal voting and stressing the need for the Senate to pass the Act to ensure election integrity. "We did our job by passing the SAVE Act. House Republicans are making necessary changes to the NVRA," Roy stated. "Fair and free elections are the bedrock of our nation."

Roy's full op-ed is available on The Federalist's website.