VIDEO: On Senate Floor, Hirono Calls Out Trump Voter Suppression Agenda, Opposes SAVE America Act

~Watch Senator Hirono's full floor speech HERE ~

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) took to the Senate floor to highlight Republicans' attacks on our democracy. She voiced strong opposition to Republicans' Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act which, unlike its name suggests, would make it significantly harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote.

"I rise in strong opposition to the so-called SAVE America Act. What it should be called is the "SAVE Trump Act." This bill is not about protecting elections. It is about making it harder for eligible Americans to vote," opened Senator Hirono.

If passed, the SAVE America Act would require Americans to prove their citizenship-in person-with documents like a birth certificate or passport when registering to vote.

"Let me be clear, this bill is not just about showing a picture ID when voting. This bill is about proving citizenship in-person before you can even register to vote," said Senator Hirono.

It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. In fact, studies from conservative think tanks like the CATO institute and Heritage Foundation found that voting by noncitizens in the U.S. is virtually nonexistent.

More than 140 million Americans-nearly half of American citizens-do not have a passport. More than 21 million eligible voters do not have ready access to citizenship documents. This legislation would make it significantly more difficult for all Americans-especially first-time voters, seniors, those living in rural communities, and women-to vote. Hirono highlighted the estimated 69 million women who do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name, including 300,000 women in Hawaii.

"In other words, for tens of millions of Americans, producing these documents is not a small hurdle. It is a huge barrier," Senator Hirono said. That is not a flaw in the system. That is a choice."

Senator Hirono also highlighted the harm this bill would create for military servicemembers and their families, reading a letter she received from a military spouse living in Hawaii about how the SAVE America Act would impact her family.

"The SAVE Act would have disastrous impacts on military families like mine. If an eligible voter was born overseas like many in our community - if an eligible voter has changed their first or last name since birth, like many spouses do when they get married - or if an eligible voter simply doesn't have access to their documents because they're in the middle of a military move - this bill could deny them the ability to register at all," read Senator Hirono. "The SAVE America Act would cut families like mine out of the ability to participate in our own democracy, the very democracy we have committed to protect."

Senator Hirono raised alarms about Republicans' sweeping efforts to undermine democracy, warning that the SAVE America Act is part of a broader effort to influence elections. She highlighted the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) lawsuits for voter rolls in 29 states and reminded us about outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's refusal to rule out stationing ICE agents outside polling places.

"Republicans know they can't win over voters with their policies, so they're trying to limit who gets to vote," said Senator Hirono.

Senator Hirono concluded her remarks by recalling the history of voting rights across the country, where everything from poll taxes to literacy tests were used to keep Americans from exercising their right to vote.

"We've come a long way since the era of Jim Crow, but this bill is a chilling reminder that the battles we thought we had won don't stay won. Eternal vigilance is required of all of us," said Senator Hirono.

Senator Hirono remains committed to speaking out and fighting back against these anti-American attacks.

"Here's the truth, Mr. President. Republicans don't give a rip about "saving America." All they care about is saving Trump's ass."

A full transcript of Senator Hirono's speech is available below. Video of Senator Hirono's floor speech is available here.

M. President, I rise in strong opposition to the so-called SAVE America Act. What it should be called is the "SAVE Trump Act."

This bill is not about protecting elections. It is about making it harder for eligible Americans to vote. And Republicans know it.

Right now, my Republican colleagues are trying to hide the ball. They talk about "voter ID at the polls"-as if that is all this bill does. But that is not the truth.

The truth is that this bill requires every American to provide documentary proof of citizenship-like a passport or birth certificate- in-person, just to register to vote. Republicans are hoping that Americans won't know the difference between having to show a photo ID when voting and the requirement to prove citizenship in order to register to vote.

Let me be clear, this bill is not just about showing a picture ID when voting. This bill is about proving citizenship in-person before you can even register to vote. The SAVE Act will make it harder, more expensive, and less convenient to register to vote. This is the part Republicans are not talking about as they continue to sell the SAVE Act as a voter ID bill. It's the part they are hoping people will not notice or understand until it is too late.

Because once you do understand what this bill does, it becomes clear: this bill is not about securing our elections-it is about controlling which Americans get to participate in them through imposing onerous voter registration requirements. And let's be very clear about something else: noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal. It is a federal crime. If a non-citizen illegally votes in a federal election, they could be prosecuted and even sentenced up to 5 years in prison.

Republicans would like you to believe that non-citizens are voting in our elections in the thousands. The truth is non-citizen voting is extremely rare. The CATO Institute found that voting by noncitizens in the United States is virtually nonexistent. The Heritage Foundation found fewer than 70 instances of it over a 40-year period - that amounts to .0001% of over 1 billion votes cast during that period. The CATO Institute and Heritage Foundation are not liberal think tanks.

In continuing their claims of mass voter fraud, Republicans are perpetuating a lie about something that is practically non-existent and already illegal.

So why are Republicans so obsessed with passing this bill? Why is Donald Trump calling it "one of the most important and consequential pieces of legislation in the history of Congress"?

Because they know their agenda-gutting Medicaid, slashing SNAP, taxing us through illegal tariffs, and dragging us into an illegal war-is deeply unpopular with the American people. So unpopular that people will be motivated to vote against this agenda and vote for Democrats. Republicans know that when more people vote, they lose.

So instead of changing their policies, they want to change who gets to vote. They want to cherry pick who gets to participate in our democracy. In every state except North Dakota, people have to register to vote before voting. Many states, including Hawaii, have made voter registration as simple as possible to encourage more voter participation.

Not under this bill.

Under this bill, Americans would have to prove their citizenship by producing documents like a passport or birth certificate in-person in order to register to vote. Republicans know this is not a simple requirement.

More than 140 million Americans-nearly half of American citizens -do not have a passport. More than 21 million eligible voters do not have ready access to documents proving their citizenship. In other words, for tens of millions of Americans, producing these documents is not a small hurdle.

It is a huge barrier. It is a barrier for young people trying to register for the first time. For seniors who no longer have easy access to documents. For working families who can't afford the time or cost of navigating more government paperwork just to register to vote. A new passport costs over $150.

If this sounds like a poll tax, a price to exercise our constitutional right to vote, that's because it is. It is a financial burden on Americans at a time when millions are struggling just to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Yet another reminder of how out of touch this regime is with the lives of everyday Americans.

Unsurprisingly, the burdens this bill creates would fall disproportionately on communities who have historically had to fight for their right to vote, including women. An estimated 69 million women do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name, their married name, including over 300,000 women in Hawaii alone. Three hundred thousand women in my state and millions more across the country would face new barriers to voting. Talk about heading people off at the pass. If women can be stopped or dissuaded from registering to vote, that's okay by Republicans.

Republicans know full well the consequences this bill would have for women across our country-in red and blue states alike. While women will suffer under this bill, so too will many other communities, including our servicemembers and their families.

Don't take my word for it. Let me share with you a letter I received from a military spouse in Hawaii. She writes:

"The SAVE Act would have disastrous impacts on military families like mine. Most active-duty families move every two or three years. In addition to these moves' disruption of our established support networks, changes in our children's education and social lives, and limits on our employment and career paths, these moves also impact our ability to vote.

"We have a 27% voter participation deficit compared to civilian voters, partly due to how many logistical challenges we already face. If passed, this bill would mean that military service members and their families could functionally no longer register to vote from a far-away duty station.

"Additionally, if an eligible voter was born overseas like many in our community - if an eligible voter has changed their first or last name since birth, like many spouses do when they get married - or if an eligible voter simply doesn't have access to their documents because they're in the middle of a military move - this bill could deny them the ability to register at all.

"The SAVE America Act would cut families like mine out of the ability to participate in our own democracy, the very democracy we have committed to protect."

There are more than 2 million people serving in our Armed Services, more than 40,000 of whom live in Hawaii. Our servicemembers who risk their lives for our country. But this bill would make it harder for them to participate in the very democracy they fight to defend.

And let's not pretend this bill exists in isolation. Under this regime, we have seen a relentless campaign to undermine trust in our elections and to enact new restrictions on voting.

Under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice has sued 29 states and the District of Columbia demanding these jurisdictions hand over their voter rolls - and all the personal data contained in them. What are Trump and the person he considers his lawyer, Pam Bondi, going to do with all this information? Interfering with our elections comes to mind. And it was just weeks ago that now-outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Noem refused to rule out stationing ICE agents outside polling places this fall.

Taken together, making it harder to register to vote, suing states to turn over voter rolls, refusing to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act, and continued false allegations of voter fraud, this regime is obsessed with controlling the outcome of our elections, and obsessed with this bill.

Republicans know they can't win over voters with their policies, so they're trying to limit who gets to vote.

We've seen this before. From poll taxes to literacy tests, southern states spent decades making it as hard as possible for Black Americans and other communities of color to exercise their right to vote. We've come a long way since the era of Jim Crow, but this bill is a chilling reminder that the battles we thought we had won don't stay won. Eternal vigilance is required of all of us.

That's why Senate Democrats are here speaking out and fighting back. We know what's at stake, and we refuse to stand by while Republicans undermine our democracy and our sacred right to vote under the false pretense of "security."

Here's the truth, M. President. Republicans don't give a rip about "saving America." All they care about is saving Trump's ass, deluding themselves into believing everything Trump says.

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