{"id":2598846,"date":"2026-05-05T08:48:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/3-clever-ways-to-pass-the-save-america-act-if-republicans-keep-stonewalling\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T08:52:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:52:02","slug":"3-clever-ways-to-pass-the-save-america-act-if-republicans-keep-stonewalling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/3-clever-ways-to-pass-the-save-america-act-if-republicans-keep-stonewalling\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways To Pass The SAVE America Act If GOP Keeps Stonewalling"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F3-clever-ways-to-pass-the-save-america-act-if-republicans-keep-stonewalling%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2598846&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article argues that while the SAVE America Act is being stalled by ongoing partisan conflict over election integrity, lawmakers should pursue faster, workable steps to advance key goals. It contends that Senate Republicans should use procedural tools-such as a talking filibuster-to force a broader debate, but also take actions that don\u2019t depend entirely on passing the full legislation immediately.<\/p>\n<p>It highlights that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) already has legal authority under the Help America Vote Act to change the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/official-election-data-drops-2020-bombshell-thousands-of-ballots-may-have-been-illegally-cast\/\" title=\"Official Election Data Drops 2020 Bombshell: Thousands of Ballots May Have Been Illegally Cast\">federal voter registration form<\/a>, including adding requirements for documentary proof of citizenship. However, the EAC currently lacks functioning membership because all seats are held by commissioners serving on expired terms. The piece urges President Trump to appoint new EAC members (two Republicans and two Democrats) so the commission can promptly implement proof-of-citizenship requirements, which would be harder for later administrations to reverse.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond administrative changes, the article argues that Republicans should use the Senate budget reconciliation process to fund and enforce election-related measures. It points to precedent: what was once considered \u201cunfeasible\u201d thru reconciliation was later achieved by Democrats (e.g., the Inflation Reduction Act), and Republicans similarly used reconciliation before. It recommends using reconciliation to:  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; increase funding for enforcement related to federal law preventing noncitizens from voting,  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; expand election funding tied to data-sharing with the SAVE system to identify noncitizens,  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; provide support for REAL ID so citizens can obtain identification needed to vote, and  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; shift the proof burden away from voters by funding state and local verification systems and documents needed to confirm citizenship.<\/p>\n<p>the article maintains that sovereignty and election integrity require protecting voter rolls from noncitizen registration, and concludes that \u201cmore than one way\u201d exists to advance these changes using tools already available.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>As debate over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calif-lawsuit-demands-officials-decertify-state-election-results\/\" title=\"Calif. lawsuit demands officials decertify state election results\">election integrity continues<\/a> in Washington, President Donald Trump has kept the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FoxNews\/status\/2048083502264992066?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAVE America Act<\/a> at the forefront, urging action for its passage in the Senate. At the same time, Democratic lawmakers have <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >largely opposed measures requiring documentary proof<\/a> of citizenship for voter registration and have raised concerns about the bill\u2019s impact, with some critics labeling such proposals \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5787344-james-clyburn-save-act-jim-crow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jim Crow 2.0<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This divide makes one thing clear: if Congress cannot move quickly, policymakers should focus on what can be done now to advance its core provisions.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans should use every tool at their disposal to advance the SAVE America Act, including the talking filibuster, to force a broader debate on election integrity. At the same time, given the realities of Senate procedure and the need to build consensus, lawmakers should also pursue other avenues to move key provisions forward.<\/p>\n<h2>Election Assistance Commission<\/h2>\n<p>First, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eac.gov\/about\/help_america_vote_act.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Election Assistance Commission<\/a> (EAC) already has the statutory authority to change the voter registration form without congressional approval. The United States Supreme Court said this when it addressed Arizona\u2019s proof of citizenship law in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2012\/12-71\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2013<\/a>. The problem is that the EAC is composed of two Republicans and two Democrats, and three members must vote for any change to the federal form. However, all four members are currently serving on expired terms, and the most recent term expiration was seven years <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eac.gov\/about\/commissioners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eac.gov\/about\/help_america_vote_act.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HAVA<\/a>), which established the EAC, provides that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/52\/20923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">commissioners<\/a> are appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. The law also directs congressional leadership to submit candidate recommendations for those positions. The president should solicit those recommendations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/52\/20923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">but there is nothing in the law that requires him to appoint those specific individuals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump should appoint four new members of the EAC, two Republicans and two Democrats, who will vote to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ballots-cast-without-proof-of-citizenship-exploded-after-lawfare-crippled-arizona-election-laws\/\" title=\"Arizona&#039;s election laws were weakened by lawfare, leading to a significant increase in ballots cast without ... of ...\">require documentary proof<\/a> of citizenship for the federal voter registration form. Senate Republicans should promptly confirm those appointments and allow the EAC to immediately begin its work. Once implemented, these requirements would be difficult for a future administration to reverse.<\/p>\n<h2>Changes via Reconciliation<\/h2>\n<p>But beyond the administrative change, Senate Republicans should look at what can be done in reconciliation. In 2018, it was widely accepted that immigration enforcement and building a border wall could not be accomplished through reconciliation. It was also widely accepted that reconciliation bills could only address single issues, such as taxes, health care, or welfare reform.<\/p>\n<p>Yet when Democrats took control, they used reconciliation to pass the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2022\/08\/16\/biden-reconciliation-inflation-reduction-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inflation Reduction Act<\/a>,  combining multiple policy areas, including energy, taxes, health care, and the environment, into a single bill. This tactic was then used by President Trump and Senate Republicans nine months ago to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/104th-congress\/house-bill\/3610\/text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1996<\/a>, Congress passed a law, now codified as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/611\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611<\/a>, signed by President Bill Clinton stating, in part, \u201cIt shall be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/PLAW-104publ208\/pdf\/PLAW-104publ208.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unlawful<\/a> for any alien to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for [federal office].\u201d Senate Republicans should use reconciliation to create and fund enforcement of this law.\u00a0Senate Republicans could dramatically increase federal funding for elections and tie that funding to data sharing agreements through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/save\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAVE database<\/a> that checks for noncitizens. Reconciliation could be used to fund <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/real-id\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">REAL ID<\/a> for all American citizens so that every American would have access to the franchise.<\/p>\n<p>Reconciliation could also be used to place the burden of proof of citizenship on the state and local governments \u2014 rather than the voters. Suppose that the EAC amends the federal form to require documentary proof of citizenship, county and state of birth, and maiden name. States could then use that information to verify citizenship. Senate Republicans could fund a data sharing program through the EAC that would pay for the documents needed for verification, such as birth certificates, naturalization paperwork, or certificates of citizenship. Reconciliation could be used to fund the creation of a list of citizens, housed within the Department of Homeland Security, that states could use to verify citizenship. Senate Republicans should use reconciliation to make the SAVE database free of charge to states for the next ten years.<\/p>\n<p>Protecting our sovereignty is more than just funding ICE and border security. We must protect our voter rolls and provide tools and resources for states to keep non-citizens from registering to vote. While it is disappointing that no Senate Democrat will commit to support the SAVE America Act, the White House and Senate still have tools available to advance these changes.<\/p>\n<p>There is more than one way to SAVE America, and we should be using every tool at our disposal to do so.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Byron Fisher is the chief of staff of the Election Protection Project and a research analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation, Fisher worked as the deputy national election integrity director at the Republican National Committee during the 2022 election cycle.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As debate over election integrity continues in Washington, Trump pushes the SAVE America Act while Democrats largely oppose documentary proof of citizenship<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3263,"featured_media":2598847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/52449946245_93b4dcbccb_k-e1777659242938.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[79116,45560,40204,75195],"class_list":["post-2598846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-gop-stonewalling","tag-legislative-strategy","tag-political-advocacy","tag-save-america-act-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/52449946245_93b4dcbccb_k-e1777659242938.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2598846"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2598850,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598846\/revisions\/2598850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2598847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2598846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2598846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2598846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}