As RedState reported, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to move the SAVE America Act past its last procedural hurdle to reach the House floor for a full vote. That same evening, the House passed the SAVE Act on a 218-213 vote.
🇺🇸⚡️ The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, along with nationwide photo ID requirements to cast ballots.
— Vitamvivere (@Vitamvivere) February 12, 2026
The bill… pic.twitter.com/D0gD34sOLd
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, along with nationwide photo ID requirements to cast ballots.
The bill passed on a narrow, mostly party-line vote of 218-213, with all Republicans in favor and only one Democrat (Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas) joining them. It now heads to the Senate, where it faces significant hurdles including a likely Democratic filibuster.
The House passed the legislation, which combined two bills, in a 218-213 vote. The bill saw little support from House Democrats, with Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar being the sole Democrat to join Republicans in passing the legislation.
“It’s just common sense," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters of the legislation. "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?”
Rep. Thomas Massie's (KY-04) vote against a Rule in the last procedural vote, but his "YES" vote to pass the SAVE America Act out of the House is still producing side eyes.
This is duplicitous. When every single Republican votes one way and every single Democrat votes the other way, and you (as a Republican) vote with the Democrats, you MIGHT be able to explain it IF IT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE. But Massie does this again and again. The most logical… pic.twitter.com/r9fum8B5YK
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) February 11, 2026
This is duplicitous. When every single Republican votes one way and every single Democrat votes the other way, and you (as a Republican) vote with the Democrats, you MIGHT be able to explain it IF IT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE. But Massie does this again and again.
The most logical explanation is that he’s on a kamikaze mission to settle a personal score with Trump. And the Democrats are loving it.
Rep. Henry Cuellar's (TX-28) assistance in shoring up the Republicans' razor-thin majority cannot be discounted. Had Massie been his usual mercurial self, Cuellar would have been an even more essential buffer in seeing the act passed. Cutting through the Democrat detractors' misinformation and noise, Cuellar explained his "why" in voting with the Republicans.
I support the SAVE America Act because I believe in a fundamental priciple: American citizens should decide American elections. That principle strengthens our democracy and protects the value of every vote. This is the same secure but practical approach Texas always uses — strong photo ID standards with real fallback options — and it's a big reason Texas has some of the strongest election security laws in the country.
My statement on the House passage of the SAVE America Act.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QIdGXaTxV1
— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) February 12, 2026
Cuellar concluded:
At the end of the day, election security and voter access go together. When Americans trust the system, our democracy grows strong. That's why I voted yes.
Read More: SAVE Act Clears Last Procedural Hurdle, Heads to the House Floor for Vote
Why Are Democrats Trying to Protect Illegals at Polling Places? GOP Senator Demands Answers
The bill now moves on to the Senate, and the White House and others are putting on the pressure for Senate Republicans to not just deliver a full vote, but to get the SAVE America Act passed and on to President Donald Trump's desk for signature.
The SAVE America Act has PASSED the House and is now headed to the Senate. âś…
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2026
One step closer to SECURING America's elections with common sense reforms: proof of citizenship to register & ID to vote. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OAQPzfYCWU
Of course, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is doing his usual, threatening that the bill will be "DOA" in the Senate. The Republican majority is also showing cracks. The obstructionist crew of Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Sen. Susan Collins (ME) has refused to sign on as co-sponsors of the bill, and may throw more wrenches into the works.
On Tuesday, Murkowski expressed her opposition on X, claiming that she did not support the Democrats' 2021 Act, which sought to federalize all elections, and that she would not support the SAVE America Act, which she claims seeks to do the same thing.
When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed. Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) February 10, 2026
Murkowski is being disingenuous. Murkowski was the only Republican senator to vote "YES" to end cloture and move the 2021 bill forward for a full Senate vote. She even gave a speech on the Senate floor in favor of moving the 2021 bill forward.
“I want us to continue to reduce those barriers to Americans ability to vote,” she said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, before the procedural vote, “whether it is geographic, whether it’s logistical — we certainly know about that in Alaska — whether it’s partisan, or some other form.”
Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy and American identity, Murkowski said.
It seems 2021 Lisa Murkowski and 2026 Lisa Murkowski need to meet each other and come to a consensus.
Dive Deeper: Murkowski's Folly: Opposing SAVE Act Undermines Election Security
New: Schumer Declares GOP Voter ID Bill 'Dead on Arrival' As Jim Crow Throwback
In what could signal a positive shift, on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) officially signed on as a co-sponsor of the SAVE America Act.
Senate Majority @LeaderJohnThune is now cosponsoring the SAVE America Act.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 12, 2026
We are going to win. 🇺🇸
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) recorded this X video in support of nuking a particular form of filibuster to get the SAVE America Act passed. Cruz said, in part: "We should use every procedural tool we have to defeat a Democrat filibuster and, in particular, we should nuke what's called 'The Zombie filibuster.'"
Fascinating stuff. Which way, Republican Senate?
Tonight, the House passed the SAVE America Act.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 12, 2026
Now, it’s the Senate’s turn, and we should pass it immediately. pic.twitter.com/yB9ds6DwVA
Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote.
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