Key facts
- Hardline Republican allies of Donald Trump blocked a major U.S. House defense policy bill.
- The bloc demanded the advancement of legislation to tighten voter identification and citizenship requirements for federal elections.
- A procedural vote to begin debate on the defense bill failed.
- The SAVE America Act requires photo ID to vote and proof of U.S. citizenship to register.
- Critics argue the legislation would disenfranchise Americans without easy access to identification.
Hardline Republican allies of President Donald Trump blocked a major defense policy bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, demanding that party leaders advance separate legislation to tighten voter identification and citizenship requirements for federal elections. A procedural vote needed to begin debate on the defense bill failed after more than a dozen hardline Republicans, led by Representative Anna Paulina Luna, broke with party leaders. They objected to the failure to attach the SAVE America Act's voter ID requirements to the defense bill as an amendment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson sought to secure support by offering to add the SAVE America Act to the defense legislation after its adoption, or to a separate budget bill. Luna rejected both offers, stating they would not succeed in passing the Senate, where the measure has reportedly stalled. The SAVE America Act proposes requiring a photo ID to vote in federal elections and proof of U.S. citizenship to register, while compelling states to submit voter registration rolls to the federal government. Critics, including Democrats, contend the bill addresses rare instances of non-citizen voting and could disenfranchise Americans lacking easy access to identification like passports or birth certificates.