Durbin Denounces SAVE America Act & Republicans’ Efforts To Restrict Americans’ Fundamental Right To Vote

Durbin Denounces SAVE America Act & Republicans' Efforts To Restrict Americans' Fundamental Right To Vote

The SAVE America Act would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters with extreme voting requirements

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor denouncing the Republicans' SAVE America Act, which would make it more difficult for millions of Americans to vote. In his remarks, Durbin laid out the barriers to voting that the SAVE America Act would create by requiring all Americans who are registering to vote to show documentary proof of citizenship.

"On August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. That bill-nearly a century after the ratification of the 15th Amendment-would finally outlaw discriminatory practices that erected unjust barriers to voting for African Americans like literacy tests and poll taxes. It would open the ballot box in America to everyone," Durbin began. "Six decades later, another President would…insist that Congress pass a bill that would make it harder for eligible citizens to vote."

"Earlier this week, at President Trump's request, the Senate began consideration of the SAVE America Act in a marathon debate session. Why? Because the President is throwing a temper tantrum, demanding that Congress pass his legislation and nothing else," Durbin said.

Addressing the Republicans' manufactured argument that American elections are not secure because noncitizens are voting, Durbin explained that federal law already bans noncitizens from participating in American elections and that cases of illegal voting are extremely uncommon.

"Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and cases of noncitizens voting are extremely rare… The [Bipartisan Policy Center's analysis of] the conservative Heritage Foundation's Election Fraud database found, in the period from 1999 to 2023, 24 years-how many cases do you think they found of voter fraud, incidents when noncitizens successfully cast ballots? Out of the millions and millions of votes that were cast, they found exactly 77 [instances of noncitizens illegally voting] in a 24 year period," Durbin said.

"What's the 'real' reason [for the SAVE America Act] if there are only 77 cases of voter fraud in 24 years? I'll tell you. It's for MAGA Republicans to cling to power by rigging the elections in November. And they're not hiding it," Durbin continued. "This President is scared to death of what's going to happen when the American people finally get to say the last word on his policies. And so, he wants to change the election rules…They don't think they can win the election fair and square, so they need to change the rules and make it harder for eligible voters."

Durbin spoke to the specific provisions in the bill that would prevent people from exercising their right to vote. Under the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, driver's licenses and other government-issued IDs, including a REAL ID, alone would not be sufficient. According to a nonpartisan study by the Brennan Center and the University of Maryland, more than 21 million Americans who are eligible to vote-or about one out of every ten voting age citizens-do not have documents readily available to prove their citizenship.

"Among the provisions is one that requires all states to obtain proof of citizenship, in person, from people looking to register to vote. In their bill, a driver's license, the most common form of identification in America, and most REAL IDs would not be enough to register to vote. You need more. You've got to prove your citizenship before you can register under the Republican plan. Only birth certificates, passports, or similar documentation would count," Durbin said.

"How many Americans actually know where their original birth certificate can be found? And how about those who have a birth certificate with a maiden name? Do you know how many Americans don't have a passport? Almost half the people living in America have no passport," Durbin said.

"You say to yourself, 'Well, I'll go get a passport. There can't be much to it.' Have you tried lately? You know what it costs? $165. So before you get to vote, you got to write a check for a passport for $165," Durbin continued. "If you put an extra $60 on it, make it $225, they'll expedite it. That's your poll tax. You want to vote? You want to register? You got a passport? If you don't, get ready to fork over $165 to $200 for a passport."

"That's the Republican plan. Make it more bureaucratic and more cumbersome and more confusing [to vote] despite the fact that there is little to no evidence of voter fraud in the United States," Durbin said.

"This bill would also unfairly impact married women who have taken their spouses' names. They would either have to amend their original proof of citizenship documents or go through paperwork and bureaucracy to register to vote," Durbin said.

Durbin concluded his remarks by reiterating his opposition to the SAVE American Act, legislation that is designed to prevent Americans from exercising their fundamental right to vote.

"If we truly believe, as President Johnson said, that we 'must not refuse to protect the right of every American to vote in every election that he may desire to participate in,' then we must reject this terrible legislation that will deny the right to vote to eligible voters across the United States," Durbin said.

"The SAVE America Act is an affront to the fundamental right to vote, and, I'll be voting no," Durbin concluded his remarks.

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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