No easy pathway into law for the Republican SAVE America Act

While Republicans successfully pushed a bill through the U.S. House this week to make sure that only American citizens are registered to vote, the measure faces a difficult road in the Senate this election year.

And Republicans may end up fighting each other over that.

Originally, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or SAVE America Act was only about voter registration. But then, GOP lawmakers had an idea: Why not add in a requirement for voter ID at the polls?

That’s when things got a little messy.

At first, the new GOP bill also required voters to prove their citizenship at the polls.

In other words, voters would need a U.S. passport to vote. Or they would have to bring a driver’s license and their birth certificate.

A few days later, that was dropped. But that wasn’t the only change.

Instead of delaying the voter ID requirement until after the 2026 elections, Republicans switched to have it apply immediately.

No matter the final details, GOP lawmakers all stuck together to pass the bill.

“The survival of our constitutional republic relies on free, fair and secure elections,” said U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens.

“Public opinion overwhelmingly supports this legislation, and it is our duty to adhere to the will of the people,” added U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Peachtree City.

Democrats countered that the bill was trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

“Georgia audited 8.2 million voter registrations and found 20 noncitizens,” said Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif. “Twenty. So, that’s the emergency?”

This might not be the only vote on election law in 2026. House Republicans are also working on a “Make Elections Great Again” bill. That would accomplish something that President Donald Trump dearly wants, as the plan would ban almost all voting by mail.

But no matter what the House passes, action will still be needed by the Senate, where Republicans don’t have 60 votes.

GOP leaders are unwilling to “nuke” the filibuster. But some House Republicans to demand a “talking filibuster” — like Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

The armchair parliamentary argument goes like this: Backers of the SAVE America Act want to force Democrats to conduct a real talking filibuster, and when all Democrats have made two speeches — it’s time for a final vote.