S. 1383 – [SAVE America Act]

House Rules and Floor ProcedureHouse Rules · February 10, 2026 · 119th Congress
The House Rules Committee met to set the floor rule for S. Begins at ▶ 0:05:59
Transcript
Highlights

Title

House Rules Committee debates rule for the SAVE America Act voter ID bill

Purpose

The House Rules Committee met to set the floor rule for S. 1383, the SAVE America Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship and photo identification to register and vote in federal elections. House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil and Ranking Member Joseph Morelle testified as witnesses, taking questions from Rules Committee members on voter ID, provisional registration, military/spouse exemptions, and the bill's late changes, before Democratic members offered amendments on alternative ID documents, voter-roll purge protections, and a congressional stock-trading ban. Begins at▶ 0:05:59.

Who spoke

• Chair (presiding, Rules Committee)▶ 0:05:59: Opened by describing the SAVE America Act as protecting citizens' voting rights through documentation and voter-roll accuracy requirements▶ 0:06:21, and recognized Ranking Member McGovern▶ 0:07:43.

• Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member▶ 0:08:15: Called the bill "a dangerous effort" rather than a messaging bill▶ 0:08:15, argued there is no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting▶ 0:09:51, said the requirements would make voting harder for disabled people, night-shift workers and deployed families▶ 0:12:21, and criticized last-minute changes made without a markup▶ 0:14:27.

• Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), Chairman, House Administration Committee (witness)▶ 0:18:10: Thanked Rep. Chip Roy for his work on the bill▶ 0:18:10, explained the deployed-servicemember/spouse exemption▶ 0:19:06, cited Georgia's 2021 election law and subsequent turnout surveys as evidence voter ID does not suppress turnout▶ 0:21:07, and later defended the bill's exemption from the Paperwork Reduction Act as consistent with existing federal law▶ 1:22:34.

• Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Ranking Member, House Administration Committee (witness)▶ 0:22:33: Called the SAVE Act "riddled with mistakes" and said it was rushed without a markup▶ 0:23:35, noted Sen. Murkowski's opposition▶ 0:24:02, argued the bill hands states' voter rolls to DHS▶ 0:26:43, and later offered floor amendments including provisions from the Freedom to Vote Act and a ban on congressional stock trading▶ 2:11:12.

• Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)▶ 0:44:53: Argued Democrats "actively encourage" noncitizens to register▶ 0:45:22 and cited a case of a man arrested in Iowa who was found registered and requesting a ballot in Maryland▶ 0:47:23.

• Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)▶ 1:04:15: Compared voter ID to ID requirements for buying Sudafed or boarding a plane [0:39:07/1:04:39], and cited Georgia turnout and vote totals before and after the state's 2021 election law▶ 1:06:10.

• Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)▶ 1:03:27: Raised concerns about abusive ICE conduct near polling places▶ 1:03:47, and later said roughly half of Pennsylvanians lack a passport and that student IDs would not qualify under the bill▶ 0:57:07▶ 2:19:24.

• Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)▶ 1:10:56: Pressed Steil and Morelle on Georgia's and Minnesota's certified 2020/2024 election results▶ 1:10:56, noting Steil would not directly say who won particular states▶ 1:17:34, and later asked whether Steil would acknowledge Trump lost the 2020 election▶ 2:34:31.

• Rep. Douglas▶ 1:25:26: Asked witnesses what level of voter fraud is "acceptable"▶ 1:25:26, and cited that 36–37 states already have voter ID laws with no drop in turnout, including Indiana and Georgia▶ 1:27:18.

• Rep. Hernandez▶ 1:35:23: Cited a Brennan Center analysis that 21.3 million Americans of voting age lack ready access to citizenship documents▶ 1:37:47, and questioned witnesses on the bill's changed effective date ahead of upcoming primaries▶ 1:38:04.

• Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)▶ 2:01:15: Offered an amendment to broaden acceptable ID documents, recounting her disabled father's difficulty obtaining photo ID, including a courthouse with an out-of-order elevator▶ 2:02:02, and cited Kansas's proof-of-citizenship law, which initially flagged 12% of registrants as ineligible before 99% were found eligible▶ 2:06:18.

• Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) [1:55:22 approx.]: Defended the bill's voter ID requirements as broadly popular and argued documented cases of noncitizen registration justify the legislation▶ 1:56:09.

• Rep. Griffith▶ 1:59:22: Presided over closing the witness panel, thanking Steil and Morelle for testifying▶ 1:59:22.

• Rep. Riley▶ 2:11:12: Briefly yielded his time to Rep. Morelle to present a floor amendment▶ 2:11:12.

Key moments

• Rep. Neguse pressed Chairman Steil to confirm who won specific states in 2020 and 2024 (Arkansas, Minnesota), and Steil repeatedly declined to give a direct state-by-state answer, prompting Neguse to call it evidence Republicans are "afraid" to state basic election facts▶ 1:17:11▶ 1:17:34.

• Steil cited Georgia's 2021 election-integrity law and post-passage survey data showing strong voter satisfaction across demographic groups, disputing claims the law suppressed turnout▶ 0:21:07▶ 1:09:35.

• Morelle said Sen. Lisa Murkowski had already announced opposition to the SAVE Act and argued the bill was assembled with "band-aids" under White House pressure just before the hearing▶ 0:24:02.

• Rep. Fischbach detailed an Iowa case in which a man arrested for illegal presence was found to have requested an absentee ballot in Maryland, calling it justification for stricter registration checks▶ 0:47:23.

• Rep. Sewell described the burden of getting her disabled father a qualifying photo ID, including a courthouse elevator that was "out of order," to argue the bill's ID list is too narrow▶ 2:02:02.

• Rep. Scanlon said roughly half of Pennsylvanians lack a passport, and noted student IDs and firearm/hunting licenses would not satisfy the bill's ID requirements▶ 0:57:07▶ 2:19:46.

• Rep. Hernandez cited a Brennan Center figure that 21.3 million voting-age Americans lack ready access to citizenship documents, and pressed witnesses on whether the bill's changed effective date could disenfranchise voters in imminent primaries▶ 1:37:47▶ 1:38:04.

• Discussion of Kansas's proof-of-citizenship law: witnesses and members disputed figures showing roughly 31,000 otherwise-eligible voters were initially blocked from registering, with 99% later found eligible, cited as a cautionary example▶ 2:06:18▶ 2:23:10.

• A member raised concerns that tribal identification cards, often the primary ID for Native American voters, would not qualify under the SAVE Act's documentary-proof requirements▶ 2:27:17.

• Morelle's amendment proposed banning members of Congress, the president and vice president from trading individual stocks, noting a discharge petition on the issue was nearing the 218 signatures needed▶ 2:14:13.

Metadata

CommitteeHouse Rules
Chamber / CongressHouse · 119th Congress
DateFebruary 10, 2026
TypeMeeting
Witnesses
(none listed in event metadata)
Videoyoutube
Transcript346 caption blocks · 13,822 words · 3:14:12 runtime
EventCongress.gov 118965