House Speaker Pledges Fourth Attempt to Pass SAVE Act Under Reconciliation

House Speaker Mike Johnson said July 5 that Congress will attempt for a fourth time to pass the SAVE Act after lawmakers return from the July 4 recess. The bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot.

Johnson said the new version will move under budget reconciliation procedures, which allow passage by a simple majority in the Senate. He noted that the House has passed similar bills three times already. A stripped-down version without limits on mail ballots or rules on transgender athletes and medical care for minors could win Senate approval, Johnson told Fox News Sunday.

President Trump urged passage of the measure during a July 4 speech on the National Mall. Trump said the bill should also restrict mail ballots except for cases of illness, disability, military deployment or travel. Johnson stated that proof of citizenship and photo ID would address fraud concerns, especially in states that allow expanded mail voting.

"If we can get proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote, that eliminates so much of the problem, all the fraud, and everything that everybody’s concerned about in our elections, particularly, frankly, in these blue states," he said. Eight states now run all elections by mail. Sen.

Lisa Murkowski said the bill would force states to pay all implementation costs immediately during an active election year and called the timeline unrealistic.