House Passes Massive Election Bill Ahead of Midterms

The GOP-controlled House just passed the SAVE America Act, which requires a photo ID to vote in federal elections. Now the bill is headed to the Senate, where Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) has already vowed to shut it down, despite the numbers showing the majority of American voters agree with requiring identification – even most within his party. 

As reported by The Washington Times:

House Republicans passed voter ID legislation amid vehement Democratic opposition, putting pressure on the Senate to act on the bill this election year.

The bill, known as the SAVE America Act, would require a photo ID at the polls and proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote.

It also would order states to remove noncitizens from existing voter rolls.

Only one of the chamber’s 214 Democrats, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted with the 217 Republicans to pass the measure.

The rest of the Democrats insisted that checking citizenship and requiring a photo ID to vote was a racist scheme to disenfranchise minority voters. Republicans argued that the measures prevent fraud, such as double voting, voter impersonation and noncitizen voting.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican, called the bill “critically important to one of the most precious franchises in America, and that is that sacred right to vote.”

Let’s strip away the noise for a minute. The core of this bill is simple: If you want to register to vote, you will need a government-issued ID and documentation proving U.S. citizenship, which means a birth certificate (which every citizen has or has access to) or a passport. After registration, you would simply show a valid photo ID to vote. Not exactly a radical idea. In fact, these days, it’s pretty standard.

Most of us show ID all the time without thinking twice about it. To board a plane. To pick up medicine. To enter certain live events. To get into a convention. It’s part of daily life.

So why is this still controversial? When you look at the polling, and I’m even including polling reported by CNN, American support for voter ID is consistently north of 75%. As the CNN reporter implied, more Americans agree with rapper Nicki Minaj than with Chuck Schumer.

Think about that for a second. In an era where we can barely get 51% of the country to agree on anything, we’re talking about support levels that would qualify as a landslide in modern politics. We told you how even  Senator John Fetterman (PA) acknowledged that showing ID to vote is “not a radical idea.”

Remember, he’s also the one who pointed out that Wisconsin voters approved a voter ID constitutional amendment by 63% while also electing what he described as a “very, very liberal” state Supreme Court justice. Clearly, voter ID doesn’t neatly fall into red vs. blue. It’s common sense.

Of course, critics on the Left argue that this is racist; that it’s about suppressing minority voters. I’ve said it before, but calling it racist to require ID is deeply troubling. Leadership on the Left has suggested that certain communities are incapable of obtaining identification – that they can’t navigate a DMV, secure a birth certificate, or carry an ID like every other American – which feels condescending at best and offensive at worst.

We heard from a caller who identified as African American and stated that she grew up in the South in the 1960s, and said she finds it insulting to imply that folks like her are somehow unable to meet a basic ID requirement because of their race. That’s not empowerment. That’s paternalism. And I agree with her. I’d be offended too.

To be clear, I don’t support going beyond ID requirements into things like IQ tests or mandatory civics exams. History has shown us how dangerous those paths can be. The Constitution sets qualifications for voting. We shouldn’t start layering on subjective barriers. But verifying that every voter is a citizen isn’t just common sense. It’s our responsibility if we’re going to protect the integrity of our elections.

The bill narrowly passed in the House. Now it heads to the Senate, where it faces a real fight. Senator Schumer has vowed to do everything in his power to kill it. Republicans have a majority, but not necessarily a filibuster-proof one. Breaking the filibuster would require Democratic support. There is a sliver of hope, as a few Democrats have signaled openness. But most have not. And if they toe the party line, it’s going to be a challenge.

So the question becomes: If roughly 70% of far-Left voters support photo ID, why are so many Members of Congress resistant? Such opposition argues that the fraud risk is overstated and that added requirements create barriers. And honestly, most of the objections I’ve heard revolve around optics or hypotheticals, not concrete explanations for why verifying identity is a bad policy.

What’s undeniable is that the American public has largely already decided where it stands. And in a country this divided, disagreeing with the majority of Americans seems like a really unwise move.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of the SAVE America Act and what happens next in the Senate. We also updated you on a major legal victory we just scored in a Chicago courtroom, where we’re defending the free speech rights of preachers.

Watch the full broadcast below: