‘We Must Pass The SAVE Act’: Republicans Engage In Serious Push For Voter ID

House Republicans are going “full steam ahead” on a supercharged version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a GOP-sponsored bill to prevent non-citizen voting in federal elections. It would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require documentary proof of US citizenship (passport, birth certificate, or REAL ID=compliant driver’s license) when registering to vote. 

The bill (H.R. 8281) was originally introduced in 2024 and was passed by the House in a 220-198 vote, however it stalled in the Senate under Democratic control. 

In early 2025, it was revived in the House as H.R. 22, and S. 128 in the Senate. In April, the House passed H.R. 22 in a 220-208 vote, where it was sent to the Senate and has once again stalled due to threat of filibuster or lack of bipartisan support. 

Now, Republican leadership is pushing a “turbocharged” version called SAVE Act Plus, which would enhance the original bill by adding photo ID requirements for registration and voting, which both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have begun aggressively pushing. 

“What we’re looking at doing is passing an even better bill over to the Senate to give them even more incentive to go protect the sanctity of every American’s vote, and that is the Save Act plus a picture ID requirement,” Scalise told Fox News on Sunday. “Look, you can’t even get on an airplane. You can’t go to a bar tonight without showing a picture ID. Yet, there are people in many states where the states actually have laws saying you can’t show ID, which is a recipe for fraud, for stealing your vote if you’re voting legally so that somebody can come behind you illegally in another country and actually vote and steal your vote…”

We need massive momentum behind this

Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are pushing to pass the SAVE Act Plus

Here’s why that’s a huge deal

– This mandates IN PERSON presentation
– Voters will must show documents directly to an election official or… pic.twitter.com/WkY4DdVKYi

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) January 19, 2026

On Friday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) amplified a post on X showing that 84% of Americans want voter ID - with Lee posting “We must pass the SAVE Act,” adding “There are no good arguments against it.” 

We must pass the SAVE Act

There are no good arguments against it

Pass it on if you agree https://t.co/ZjYQLCNTJb

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 16, 2026

In early December, Johnson said that the SAVE Act would be a “really important measure to eliminate fraud in elections.” 

Elon Musk has been extremely vocal about this as well:

No ID and mailing in ballots make fraud trivial.

Both of those need to be fixed to restore democracy. https://t.co/edN9yTbDWG

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2026

GET IT DONE TO SAVE AMERICA https://t.co/hCIkDycXFe

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2026

In January, the House Freedom Caucus wrote to Johnson urging him to push the SAVE Act as the top item on his agenda.