Speaker Johnson moves to place election-integrity provisions in budget reconciliation bill
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House Speaker Mike Johnson advanced a plan to embed parts of the SAVE America Act in a budget reconciliation package, aiming to secure a vote without Democratic support, while Democrats criticize the measure.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a strategy to incorporate key provisions of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act into a broader budget reconciliation bill. The approach would allow the measure to advance with a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing the filibuster threshold that requires bipartisan support. Reconciliation bills must address federal spending or revenue, and the proposed package also includes funding for state election-integrity programs, a $95 billion defense allocation, and aid for farmers.
The House Rules Committee is expected to vote on the framework that would direct committees to draft the detailed budget provisions. A chamber-wide vote on the framework is slated for Tuesday, with a final vote on the full reconciliation bill anticipated the following day.
President Donald Trump urged Republicans to move the legislation forward, saying it would “get as much of the SAVE America Act as possible in a budget bill, along with aid to our farmers and funding for our military.”
Democratic leaders expressed strong opposition. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the effort represents “a phony issue” and criticized the focus on voter-ID measures over other policy areas. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing it would make voting harder for low-income Americans and people of color.