2026-02-06T06:00:05-0500 / CBS新闻
华盛顿报道 — 国会正在推动一项新的共和党选举相关法案，即《SAVE America法案》，而民主党人警告称该提案可能会剥夺数百万符合条件选民的投票权。
该法案全称为《保护美国选民资格法案》（Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act），简称SAVE America法案，要求美国人在联邦选举中亲自出示公民身份证明才能登记投票，并实施投票照片ID要求。
尽管该立法旨在防止非公民投票，但一些专家认为，该法案可能对数百万没有护照或出生证明等特定文件，或已更改姓名的美国人产生影响。
多年来，国会共和党人试图在参众两院通过该法案的多次修订版本。众议院已两次通过SAVE America法案的早期版本，但在参议院未能取得进展——参议院对大多数立法的推进要求60票门槛，使得两党法案更难通过。
“尽管该法案试图防范几乎不存在的问题（非公民投票），并服务于阴谋论，但具有讽刺意味的是，它可能对共和党选民产生更不利的影响——共和党选民获取护照等多种文件的比例远低于民主党人。”CBS新闻选举法专家、选举创新与研究中心执行主任戴维·贝克尔（David Becker）表示。
以下是关于SAVE America法案的要点：
SAVE America法案是什么？
该法案将修订1993年《国家选民登记法》，要求在联邦选举中登记投票时提供公民身份证明。
立法要求提供证明个人出生于美国的文件，包括：
- 符合《REAL ID法案》且表明持有人为公民的身份证件；
- 护照；
- 军事身份证件及显示出生于美国的军事服务记录；
- 政府签发的显示出生地为美国的照片ID；
- 其他政府签发的照片ID，但需附带出生证明、同等文件或入籍证明。
该立法还要求通过邮寄提交选民登记表的人必须亲自出示公民身份证明。
它指示各州建立无法提供公民身份证明的个人的处理流程，包括签署一份在伪证罪处罚下的宣誓书，声明其为公民且有投票资格，并提供其他证明公民身份的证据。随后，州或地方官员必须签署一份宣誓书，确认该人已充分证明其美国公民身份。
该法案要求各州采取措施确保仅美国公民登记投票，包括建立一个项目，利用国土安全部、社会保障管理局、州机构或其他来源的数据识别非美国公民。
该法案的最新版本还实施了选民投票需出示照片ID的要求，这与早期版本不同。缺席选票需附带照片ID副本。如果ID未显示该人为公民，除非该州已向国土安全部提交选民登记名单并表明该选民已被确认为公民，否则需提供公民身份证明文件才能投票。
“这是一项‘出示文件’政策，要求绝大多数人登记投票时需提供护照或出生证明等文件。”布伦南中心投票权与选举项目副主任伊莱扎·斯韦伦-贝克尔（Eliza Sweren-Becker）表示。
特朗普政府已要求几乎所有州和哥伦比亚特区提供完整的选民登记名单，这些名单包含选民地址、出生日期和部分社会安全号码等敏感信息。
根据布伦南中心，至少有11个州已移交选民名单或表示打算向政府提供信息，司法部已对24个拒绝移交信息的州和哥伦比亚特区提起诉讼。加利福尼亚州和俄勒冈州法院已驳回政府对这些州敏感选民信息的请求。
非公民能否在联邦选举中投票？
从法律上讲不能，非公民投票的情况极为罕见。
1996年，国会通过《非法移民改革和移民责任法》，收紧联邦移民法，规定任何非公民在联邦选举中投票均属非法，违者最高可判处一年监禁。
在加利福尼亚州、马里兰州、佛蒙特州和哥伦比亚特区的少数城市允许非公民在地方选举中投票。
近年来，一些州审查了非公民投票的范围。佐治亚州2024年对选民名单的公民身份审计显示，该州820万登记选民中有20人非公民，另有156人需进一步调查公民身份。
俄亥俄州国务卿弗兰克·拉罗斯（Frank LaRose）2024年表示，公民身份核查审计发现597名非公民登记投票，其中138人似乎已投票并被移交州总检察长。截至2024年总统选举，俄亥俄州选民超过810万。
德克萨斯州去年10月进行公民身份核查后，发现2724名潜在非公民登记投票，该州截至2024年总统选举的登记选民超过1860万。
民主党警告压制选民，共和党视其为常识性法案
民主党谴责该立法，称其在参议院不可能通过。
参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默（Chuck Schumer）称SAVE法案在参议院“一提出就死亡”，“民主党数月来明确表示，我们绝不可能考虑这项极具限制性和越权的立法。”
“它与保护选举毫无关系，而是将选民压制联邦化。”舒默周一在参议院表示，“SAVE法案无异于‘吉姆·克劳2.0’。”
舒默呼应民主党人的担忧，称如果SAVE法案成为法律，网上选民登记、邮寄登记和登记活动将“成为过去”，因为需亲自提供公民身份证明。他表示，该法将使无法获得出生证明或护照的美国人“无法投票”，并可能导致“大规模清洗”，将包括婚后改姓的合法公民从选民名单中移除。
“这是一项荒谬的立法，”舒默说，“它将时间倒流100年。”
布伦南中心2023年的一项调查显示，至少有380万美国人没有公民身份证明文件。2025年国务院称，流通的有效护照数量接近1.7亿，略低于美国人口的一半。
共和党人捍卫该法案为确保选举安全的常识性解决方案。众议院议长迈克·约翰逊（Mike Johnson）称，公众广泛支持选民ID和公民身份证明要求等政策。皮尤研究中心去年8月的民调显示，83%的美国人支持要求选民出示政府签发的照片ID投票；盖洛普2024年10月的民调显示，同样83%的人支持首次登记投票需提供公民身份证明的政策。
“这些措施对确保选举自由、公平和安全至关重要，这是维护宪法共和国的关键组成部分。”约翰逊周二表示。
布伦南中心的斯韦伦-贝克尔告诉CBS新闻，该立法将“对美国选民造成灾难性影响”，“选举官员将难以执行”。她称其为“美国选民的五级火灾警报，也是全国选举管理和选举管理员的五级火灾警报。”
“SAVE法案根本没有任何常识或合理性。”她表示。
特朗普的立场如何？
多年来，特朗普毫无证据地声称存在广泛的选民欺诈，继续虚假宣称自己赢得了2020年总统选举，并多次指责民主党领导的州允许非公民在美国选举中投票，尽管联邦法律明确禁止。
本周接受前FBI副主任丹·博尼诺（Dan Bongino）播客采访时，特朗普称共和党人应“全国化”选举，并声称如果不努力驱逐非法移民，他们将永远无法再次赢得选举。
“共和党人应该说，‘我们要接管’，”他说，“共和党人应该全国化选举。然后我们就会有那些非常腐败的州，他们在计算选票。”
宪法选举条款赋予各州制定联邦选举规则的权力，并允许国会通过监管这些选举的立法。
白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）表示，特朗普在博尼诺节目中的评论指的是国会的立法提案。参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩（John Thune）被问及总统言论时称，总统“澄清了他的意思，即他支持SAVE法案。”
“至于这是否意味着确保只有美国公民在我们的选举中投票，我认为我们都同意这一点。”图恩说。
但总统加倍强调了他关于选举联邦化的言论。
特朗普周二在椭圆形办公室对记者表示，他希望“诚实”的选举，并声称各州是“联邦政府的代理机构”。
“如果一个州无法举行选举，我认为我身后的人应该采取行动。”他指的是国会议员。
总统支持这项选举相关提案，并于去年3月签署了一项旨在全面改革美国选举的行政命令，要求登记投票需提供公民身份证明。
但投票权团体、民主党竞选委员会和19个州提起诉讼，质疑特朗普的行政命令，部分内容已被联邦法官驳回。
“简而言之，宪法不允许总统单方面改变联邦选举程序。”美国地区法官科琳·科拉-科泰利（Colleen Kollar-Kotelly）上周在一份110页的裁决中写道。
接下来会怎样？
尽管一些众议院共和党人希望本周将该法案纳入资金法案，但此举可能阻碍政府重新开门，特朗普敦促议员们无需修改地推进。
但总统暗示该问题可在日后解决。
佛罗里达州共和党众议员安娜·保利娜·卢娜（Anna Paulina Luna）曾领导将SAVE法案纳入资金法案的努力，她在与总统会面后表示，已获得通过参议院的保证，即通过所谓的“辩论阻挠”迫使民主党人在参议院投票中反对该法案。这一策略可能避免需要60票来结束辩论和推进立法。
图恩对这一计划表示怀疑，称其“需要大量努力、工作和合作，而这可能会影响参议院的其他工作”。不过他表示，共和党议会将讨论该计划，“看看大家的立场”。
图恩称“我们将在某个时候就SAVE法案进行投票”，同时指出可能会在讨论国土安全部资金时纳入该议题。
约翰逊也暗示SAVE法案可能成为国土安全部资金谈判的一部分。
“众议院共和党人已两次通过SAVE法案，”约翰逊表示，“我们将继续推进该法案，因为我们认为这对美国人民和我们的选举至关重要。”
What is the SAVE America Act? Here’s what to know about the GOP elections bill
2026-02-06T06:00:05-0500 / CBS News
Washington — A new Republican push to pass an elections-related bill known as the SAVE America Act is underway in Congress, as Democrats warn the proposal could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
Titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act, the bill would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections, and implement photo ID requirements for voting.
Though the legislation is aimed at preventing noncitizens from casting ballots, some experts have argued that the bill would have implications for millions of Americans who don’t have access to certain documents, like a passport or their birth certificate, or who have changed their names.
Republicans in Congress have tried to get iterations of the measure passed through both chambers for years. The House has passed earlier versions of the SAVE America Act twice, but the effort hasn’t gone anywhere in the Senate — where a 60-vote threshold for advancing most legislation makes passing partisan bills much more difficult.
“As much as this bill seeks to protect against a nearly non-existent problem (non-citizen voting), in service of conspiracy theories, what’s truly ironic is that the bill could have a far more detrimental effect on Republican voters, who often lack the multiple documents (particularly passports) at much higher rates than Democrats,” said David Becker, a CBS News election law contributor and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research.
Here’s what to know about the SAVE America Act:
What is the SAVE America Act?
The SAVE America Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
The legislation would require documentation that shows an individual was born in the U.S., including either:
- An ID that complies with the REAL ID Act and indicates the holder is a citizen;
- A passport;
- A military ID card and military record of service that shows a person was born in the U.S.;
- A government-issued photo ID that shows the person’s place of birth was in the U.S.;
- Other forms of government-issued photo ID, if they’re accompanied by a birth certificate, comparable document or naturalization certificate.
The legislation would also require those who submit voter registration forms by mail to present proof of citizenship in person.
It directs states to establish a process for individuals who cannot provide proof of citizenship, including a signed attestation under penalty of perjury that the individual is a citizen and eligible to vote, alongside other evidence to demonstrate citizenship. A state or local official would then be required to sign an affidavit affirming that the person has sufficiently established U.S. citizenship.
The bill requires states to take steps to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, including by establishing a program in which the state will identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using data from the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, state agencies or other sources.
The latest version of the bill would also implement a requirement that voters show photo ID to cast a ballot, a change from earlier iterations. Absentee ballots would need to be accompanied by a copy of a photo ID. If the ID does not indicate the person is a citizen, they would need proof of citizenship documents to vote, unless a state has submitted its voter registration list to DHS and has indicated that the voter has been verified as a citizen.
“This is a show-your-papers policy that would require something like a passport or a birth certificate to register to vote for the vast majority of people,” said Eliza Sweren-Becker, deputy director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Elections Program.
The Trump administration has demanded complete voter registration lists from nearly every state and the District of Columbia. The lists include sensitive information like voters’ addresses, birth dates and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 11 states have either turned over the voter rolls or said they intend to provide the information to the government, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against 24 states and the District of Columbia, which have refused to hand over the information. Courts in California and Oregon have rejected the administration’s bids for sensitive voter information from those states.
Can noncitizens vote in federal elections?
Not legally, and instances of noncitizens voting are rare.
In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which tightened federal immigration laws and made it illegal for any noncitizen to vote in federal elections. Violators face up to one year in prison.
A handful of municipalities in three states — California, Maryland and Vermont — and the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
Some states in recent years have examined the scope of voting by noncitizens. A citizenship audit of Georgia’s voter rolls conducted in 2024 found that 20 of the state’s 8.2 million registered voters were not citizens, according to its secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger. An additional 156 people required further investigation into their citizenship status.
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in 2024 that a citizenship verification audit identified 597 noncitizens who were registered to vote in Ohio. Of those, 138 people appeared to have cast ballots and were referred to the state’s attorney general, he said. There were more than 8.1 million voters in Ohio as of the 2024 presidential election, according to state data.
Texas identified 2,724 potential noncitizens who were registered to vote in the state after conducting citizenship verifications last October. There were more than 18.6 million registered voters in the state as of the 2024 presidential election, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Democrats warn of voter suppression, while Republicans see common-sense bill
Democrats have decried the legislation and said that it has no chance of being approved in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called the SAVE Act “dead on arrival” in the upper chamber, saying “Democrats have been clear for months we will never in a million years consider this deeply restrictive and overreaching piece of legislation.”
“It has nothing to do with protecting our elections and everything to do with federalizing voter suppression,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday. “The SAVE Act is nothing more than Jim Crow 2.0.”
Schumer echoed concerns from Democrats that if the SAVE Act becomes law, online voter registration, registration by mail and registration drives would “become a thing of the past” due to in-person requirements to provide proof of citizenship. He said the law would make it “impossible” for Americans who don’t have access to birth certificates or passports to vote. And he warned that it would lead to “massive purges that inevitably remove legitimate American citizens” from voter rolls, including, potentially, those who change their last name after getting married.
“This is just an outrageous piece of legislation,” Schumer said. “It’s turning the clock back 100 years.”
At least 3.8 million Americans do not have proof of citizenship documents, according to a survey conducted in part by the Brennan Center in 2023. In 2025, the State Department said the number of valid passports in circulation stood at nearly 170 million, just under half of the U.S. population.
Republicans have defended the bill as a common-sense solution to secure elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson said there is broad public support for policies like voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. A poll from Pew Research Center published last August found 83% of Americans favor requiring voters to show government-issued photo ID to vote. An October 2024 poll from Gallup found the same number, 83%, back a policy to require people who are registering to vote for the first time to provide proof of citizenship.
“These are very important things to ensure that our elections are free and fair and safe, and that’s a critical component of maintaining the constitutional republic,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Sweren-Becker, from the Brennan Center, told CBS News that the legislation would be “catastrophic for American voters” and would be “chaos for election officials to implement.” She called it a “five-alarm fire for American voters and a five-alarm fire for election administration and election administrators throughout the country.”
“There is nothing common sense or sensible about the SAVE Act at all,” she said.
Where does Trump stand?
For years, Mr. Trump has claimed without evidence that there is widespread voter fraud. He continues to falsely assert that he won the 2020 presidential election and has repeatedly accused states led by Democrats of allowing noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections, even though it is prohibited under federal law.
In a podcast interview this week with Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the FBI, Mr. Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” voting and claimed they would never win another election if they didn’t work to deport undocumented immigrants.
“The Republicans should say, ‘we want to take over,’” he said. “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. And then we have states that are so crooked, and they’re counting votes.”
The Constitution’s Elections Clause gives states the authority to set the rules for federal elections and allows Congress to pass legislation regulating them.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump had been referring to the legislative proposals in Congress in his comments on Bongino’s show. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, asked about the president’s remarks, said the president had “clarified what he meant by that and that is that he supports the SAVE Act.”
“So with respect to whether or not that signifies ensuring that only citizens of this country vote in our elections, that’s something I think we all agree with,” Thune said.
But the president doubled down on his comments about federalizing elections.
Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he wants “honest” elections and said states are “agents of the federal government.”
“If a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it,” he said, referring to members of Congress.
The president backs the elections-related proposal and signed an executive order last March that sought to overhaul U.S. elections. Under the directive, documentary proof of citizenship would be required to register to vote.
But voting rights groups, Democratic campaign committees and 19 states filed lawsuits challenging Mr. Trump’s executive order. Portions of the executive order have since been blocked by federal judges.
“Put simply, our Constitution does not allow the President to impose unilateral changes to federal election procedures,” U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 110-page decision last week.
What comes next?
Though some House Republicans had hoped to attach the legislation to a funding package this week, the move threatened to stall the effort to reopen the government, and Mr. Trump urged lawmakers to move forward without changes.
But the president suggested that the issue can be addressed at a later date.
GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who had led the push to attach the SAVE Act to the funding package in the House, claimed after meeting with the president that she had received assurances about moving the bill forward in the Senate by forcing Democrats to oppose it on the floor through what’s known as a talking filibuster. The maneuver would sidestep the need for 60 votes to close out debate and advance the legislation.
Thune cast doubt on that plan, saying it would “entail a tremendous amount of effort, work and cooperation at the expense of the other things that we might be doing in the Senate.” Still, Thune said the GOP conference would discuss it to “see where everyone is.”
Thune said “we will get a vote on the SAVE Act at some point,” while noting that it could come as part of the discussions around funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Johnson also suggested that the SAVE Act could be part of the negotiations over DHS funding.
“House Republicans have already passed the SAVE Act twice,” Johnson said. “We will continue to try to advance that because we believe that is critically important to the American people and to our elections.”