Four House Democrats Voted for the SAVE Act Which Is Heading for the Senate

In what feels like yet another blow to Democracy, the House of Representatives has passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The SAVE Act is heading for the Senate, where not even a lengthy filibuster can keep it off President Donald Trump's desk. It was voted through on April 10, 2025, as the global economy has been plunged into chaos following the president's tariffs.

This is the second time Republicans have attempted to turn this bill into a law, per PBS. In September 2024, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson tried to pass the SAVE Act as part of a larger funding package to keep the federal government open for six months, but it failed. Nearly all of the House Democrats voted against the bill in 2025, save for four. Which Democrats voted for the SAVE Act? Here's what we know.

According to MSNBC, in a 220-208 vote, the measure cleared the House of Representatives with the help of four Democrats: Reps. Ed Case of Hawaii; Henry Cuellar of Texas; Jared Golden of Maine; and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. Other Democrats had some choice words to say about the passing of this bill. Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, said it was "one of the most damaging voter suppression bills in modern history," per The Independent.

Outside of Congress, chief election officials also expressed their disdain over the SAVE Act passing the House. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told press ahead of the vote that the measure is a "hasty power grab to allow politicians to choose their voters instead of voters electing their politicians." Over in Vermont, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland-Hanzas commented that, "It is a voter suppression tactic that’s dressed up as some sort of reform."

Despite the fact that there is nowhere in the United States that noncitizens can vote in state or federal elections, the SAVE Act claims to crack down on illegal immigrants voting. This is only one aspect of the bill, which also makes voting needlessly more difficult for citizens. It would force Americans to present more documentation, such as a birth certificate or passport, in order to prove their citizenship.

Regarding identification, the Brennan Center for Justice points out that, "More than 21 million U.S. citizens of voting age don’t have proof of citizenship readily available." To make matters worse, roughly half of American adults have a passport and millions of people do not possess a paper copy of their birth certificate.

The use of a birth certificate as proof of citizenship is especially complicated for married women who changed their last names. The Center for American Progress estimates that 69 million women in the United States have taken their spouse's name. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and would amend the National Voter Registration Act. Also included is the ability to sue election officials who don't follow proof of citizenship requirements, per NBC News.