House Passes Controversial SAVE Act with Strict Voter ID Requirements

The bill faces steep opposition in the Senate as Democrats warn it could disenfranchise eligible voters.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Republican-controlled House has narrowly passed the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Donald Trump. The 32-page measure would significantly reshape federal election rules nationwide by requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and mandating photo identification for in-person voting. The legislation also tightens rules for mail-in ballots, requiring voters to submit a copy of an approved ID both when requesting and returning an absentee ballot.

Why it matters

The SAVE Act is part of a broader Republican push for stricter voting rules, which Democrats argue is aimed at suppressing turnout rather than protecting election integrity. The bill's passage in the House sets up a showdown in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has already declared it 'dead on arrival'.

The details

The bill passed the House by a 218-213 vote, with Republicans unanimously in favor and all but one Democrat, Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, voting against it. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana defended the bill as a commonsense safeguard, arguing that voting should be treated no differently than other activities that require identification. However, Democrats sharply criticized the legislation, warning it could disenfranchise eligible voters and noting that voting by non-citizens is already illegal and rare.

  • The SAVE Act was passed by the Republican-controlled House on February 12, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president who backed the SAVE Act.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader who has declared the bill 'dead on arrival' in the Senate.

Mike Johnson

The House Speaker who defended the SAVE Act as a commonsense safeguard.

Hakeem Jeffries

The House Minority Leader who criticized the SAVE Act as a voter suppression measure.

Henry Cuellar

The sole Democratic representative who voted in favor of the SAVE Act.

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What they’re saying

“The so-called SAVE Act is not about voter identification, it is about voter suppression.”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader (Newsweek)

“Americans need an ID to drive, to open a bank account, to buy cold medicine, to file government assistance. So why would voting be any different than that?”

— Mike Johnson, House Speaker (Newsweek)

What’s next

The SAVE Act now faces steep opposition in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has already declared the bill 'dead on arrival'.

The takeaway

The passage of the SAVE Act in the House highlights the ongoing partisan divide over voting rules, with Republicans pushing for stricter identification requirements and Democrats warning of potential voter suppression. The bill's fate in the Senate will be closely watched as a barometer of the broader debate over election integrity and access.