Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX) led 34 House Republicans in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday, demanding that he immediately schedule a vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill that's been sitting in committee for nearly 300 days.
The House passed the SAVE Act in April 2025 with bipartisan support. Since then, it has been stuck in the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which McConnell chairs.
The Republicans' letter argues that he has "unique authority" to move it forward and that "the time for that markup is past due."
“We're already a full year into the 119th Congress, and the American people are still waiting for the Senate to deliver on what we promised them in 2024,” Chairman of the Republican Study Committee August Pfluger (R-TX) emphasized. “They sent us here to get things done, not to make excuses."
According to the letter, the problem isn't hypothetical. "In states across the country, from Texas to Ohio, thousands of aliens have been identified as being registered to vote in federal elections," the representatives wrote.
They argue that current federal law prevents states from requiring proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. Therefore, the measure would now require people to provide documentation beforehand.
The letter adds that this isn't a partisan issue, as 48 of 50 Republican senators have already co-sponsored the bill, and a Gallup poll shows 83 percent of Americans support the idea, including a majority of Democrats.
The representatives even pointed to McConnell's home state as evidence of popular support. Last year, 62 percent of Kentucky voters approved a constitutional amendment banning non-citizens from voting in state and local elections.
The letter frames citizenship verification as a constitutional necessity, citing Article IV, Section 4, which guarantees each state a "Republican Form of Government."
It goes on to argue that "protecting the vote of each American from nullification by illegal voters is paramount to that guarantee."
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the House Republicans say there's no more time to waste. They are calling on McConnell to use his power as committee chairman to schedule the vote and "safeguard the future of our republic."
Among the 35 representatives who signed the letter, Texas was represented by Brandon Gill (R-TX), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Ronny L. Jackson (R-TX), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Keith Self (R-TX), August Pfluger (R-TX), Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Lance Gooden (R-TX), all showing support for the measure.
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