Speaker Mike Johnson's strategy to include key provisions of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act in a budget reconciliation bill cleared the House Rules Committee on Monday, July 21, 2026. This move marks a significant victory for the GOP as it seeks to bypass Democratic opposition to the election integrity legislation.

The SAVE America Act, strongly supported by former President Donald Trump, aims to tighten election security. Trump has urged Congress to "get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military."

While the bill passed the House, it faces difficulties in the Senate, where several Democratic votes are necessary to overcome a filibuster and proceed to final passage. The House Rules Committee's approval means the bill will undergo a chamber-wide test vote, expected Tuesday afternoon, July 22, 2026, followed by a final vote the next day at 3:30 p.m.

Despite GOP support, some Senators remain skeptical about the bill's implementation and its impact on election integrity. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the focus on the SAVE Act earlier this year, stating, "What's amazing to me is that Donald Trump had the nerve to say to the Speaker of the House, who apparently didn't object, that the most important thing that Republicans should focus on is voter suppression legislation, and that housing doesn't matter, healthcare doesn't matter, grocery bills don't matter."

Jeffries also argued in February that "While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low income Americans and people of color."

Chad Pergram, Chief Congressional Correspondent, notes the legislation's challenging path forward amid partisan divisions.

Sources