TYLER, Texas — This week, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected a six-month continuing resolution to fund the government through March next year that also included The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
The SAVE Act would have required proof of citizenship to vote. U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, who represents a majority of East Texas in Congress, is one of the Republicans who voted for the legislation.
Moran said it's unfortunate they couldn't get it passed, but he believes the future of the country depends on secure elections. He was willing to pass a short-term spending measure as long as the SAVE Act was attached.
He said his vote reflects the deep concerns he shares with East Texans about the crisis at the southern border and what that means for election integrity.
“It makes you actually show your identification, your proof of citizenship when you register to vote. So that is what the SAVE Act is,” Moran said. “You can't just check a box on a piece of paper that came through the mail. Right now, many people can register to vote without showing that on the front end and we need to stop that.”
Moran said the House passed the SAVE Act on its own, but it wasn't going anywhere. Some Republicans thought this might be a good opportunity to leverage Democrats in the Senate and White House to ensure only American citizens are voting.
Moran said he won't vote for a stand-alone continuing resolution, adding the full-year appropriations serve the best interest of American taxpayers.