Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil delivered remarks on the House Floor on July 22 in support of attaching the SAVE America Act to a third Reconciliation bill. Steil said, “Mr. Speaker, we’re here today because we can advance commonsense election integrity.”
Steil outlined two reforms that House Republicans are advocating: requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote and requiring photo identification at the polls. He said, “First, you should be a citizen to vote in this country, and you should have to prove that when you register. Second, when you head to the polls to cast your ballot, you should have to verify your identity with photo ID.”
He referenced recent reports from New Jersey where he said 6,600 non-citizens were registered to vote and nearly 400 cast ballots. Steil added that federal law requires states to provide voter registration materials with driver’s licenses and questioned current safeguards: “Currently, it’s by checking a box that you’re not a citizen. That’s not enough.” He argued that such incidents undermine confidence in elections.
Steil concluded his remarks by saying, “Our commonsense proposals will boost voter confidence, increase voter participation, and ensure that it remains easy to vote but hard to cheat.” He urged passage of the resolution as an opportunity for strengthening election integrity nationwide.
The House Administration Committee oversees operations of the U.S. House of Representatives including federal elections and Capitol security; it also participates in joint committees related to Library and Printing functions, according to the official website. The committee played a role in passing the Help America Vote Act in 2002, which allocated over $3 billion for improvements aimed at increasing voting accessibility and reducing fraud.