Remarks as prepared for delivery:
“A few weeks ago, I rose in this chamber in support of the SAVE America Act. I implored my colleagues to listen to the people who put us here. To restore their trust in our elections. To defend the integrity of what John Adams called “the primary right by which all other rights are protected.”
Today, the rubber meets the road. We must continue our debate in front of the American people, and we need to pass this bill.
That is why I rise again to dispel the myths peddled by the bill’s opponents and to remind us – and the American people – what it is we are really debating here.
I understand the importance of election integrity more than most. In 2022, I lost my first state-wide election in Pennsylvania by 950 votes—that’s 14 votes per county. I won my second state-wide election in 2024 by 15,000 votes out of almost 7 million cast.
These incredibly narrow races show just how important it is that our elections run smoothly, fairly, and that ONLY legitimate votes are counted.
Right now, we cannot pretend that all elections in America meet that standard.
In my home state of Pennsylvania, an illegal immigrant named Mahady Sacko was recently indicted for having illegally voted in seven different federal elections, including the 2024 election.
And he was not the only one. We have seen similar cases of non-citizens voting across the country.
In 2024, a Chinese national was caught and charged in Michigan after his ballot was already processed.
And just days ago, a British national was charged in Texas for illegally casting a ballot in the 2024 election.
Critics of the SAVE America Act say such cases are rare. But in 2024, two of the five swing state Senate races were decided by less than 0.3 points. And the other three races were decided by two points or less.
The key point here is: It does not take many illegal votes to swing an election and change the course of history.
And because an additional ten million illegal immigrants entered this country during the Biden administration, that risk has risen dramatically.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that more than half of Americans say they are deeply concerned about the integrity of our elections.
And it’s no surprise that the American people are demanding change.
My colleagues — as stewards of our constitutional order — we have a duty to root out the source of this distrust and restore the integrity of our democratic process.
That is why I support the SAVE America Act.
The bill does one thing: ensures that only American citizens cast ballots in American elections. It does so by:
- requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote,
- standardizing the list of acceptable documents that prove citizenship,
- creating an alternative process for applicants who lack that documentation,
- requiring photo ID when casting a ballot,
- mandating ongoing voter roll maintenance to remove non-citizens,
- allowing states to use federal databases for verification, and
- strengthening enforcement and penalties against officials who knowingly register non-citizens.
These are common sense measures. So basic. So reasonable.
And — most important — the American people support them.
Voter ID is an 80–20 issue. The Pew Research Center found that 95 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats support it.
Meanwhile, only 22 percent of Americans oppose requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections. And that conclusion was from a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll last month.
Bottom line: the American people understand the problem. And they support this solution.
Since I last rose in support of the SAVE America Act, President Trump has proposed additional measures. These include:
- Limiting of mail in ballots to those who are sick, disabled, serving in the military, traveling, or otherwise experiencing hardship;
- Keeping men out of women’s sports;
- And protecting children from transgender mutilation surgeries.
I support each of these efforts and Senator Schmitt’s amendment incorporating them.
Yesterday, I also voted for the Tuberville-Blackburn amendment, which would have further protected women’s sports — but again, the Democrats blocked that commonsense effort.
These additions make a strong bill stronger. But the overall purpose — the reason I first rose in support of this legislation — is restoring the American people’s faith in their elections. That is what the SAVE America Act does. And that is why I support it.
Now, I continue to hear a lot of misleading claims about this bill, and I’d like to address a few of them directly.
Myth one: that the bill disenfranchises women who change their names at marriage.
False. If you are already registered, this bill requires nothing of you. For those registering for the first time or re-registering after a move, the bill explicitly directs states to accommodate name discrepancies.
Applicants can sign a sworn statement, submit supporting evidence, and have an election official certify their citizenship. The bill anticipates this challenge and provides a solution.
Myth two: that voters must bring proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate, to the polls.
False. Proof of citizenship is required only at registration. On Election Day, a standard photo ID suffices. This includes a driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport. We ask Americans to show ID to board a plane or buy a beer. Asking the same to protect the ballot is not a burden — it is a basic civic responsibility.
Myth three: Voter ID suppresses turnout — that this bill, as some have called it, is “Jim Crow 2.0.”
False. There is no evidence that Voter ID suppresses turnout.
A 2021 National Bureau of Economic Research study analyzed a full decade of data and found voter ID laws have no negative effect on registration or turnout.
A 2006 study by the Crime Prevention Research Center went further: fraud-prevention measures actually increase participation.
And when my friend Governor Kemp of Georgia enacted a voter ID law in 2021, the state set turnout records in 2022 — and again in 2024.
Facts are pesky things.
Despite the facts and the support of the American people, many Democrats have stood against this act from the beginning. The reason: they fundamentally oppose requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID at the polls.
And because they know that those principles are so simple and so intuitive, some have decided they cannot defeat them in honest debate. So instead, they try to bury them in hysteria and misinformation.
I have heard the bill smeared as “one of the most despicable pieces of legislation,” an “attack on our sacred right to vote,” and “a voter suppression bill.” Democratic leadership declared it “dead on arrival.”
The performative outrage and escalated language I see from some on the left is simply petty political theater. It’s wrong. It’s disgraceful. And it’s unworthy of an issue which deserves serious attention, honest debate, and thoughtful action.
The facts are clear.
Fact One: The American people are worried about the integrity of their elections, and for good reason.
Fact Two: The American people overwhelmingly support Voter ID and citizenship requirements to ensure that only American citizens cast ballots in American elections.
Fact Three: Those are the core features of the SAVE America Act.
Fact Four: There are abundant, readily available ways to get the proper documents or meet the requirements to ease access for all those who are qualified to vote.
Fact Five: This chamber can and must work together in a bi-partisan manner to address the concerns of the American people. It is possible. We just did it with the Road to Housing Act.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a problem. The American people want it fixed. The SAVE America Act is a common sense and effective solution for addressing the problem.
For all these reasons, I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the SAVE America Act.”