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Floor Speech

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Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the SAVE America Act. I have heard a lot of hysteria, hyperbole, and, sadly, falsehoods about this bill, which have created a good deal of confusion. Frankly, a lot of the issues have become muddled. I think we have lost sight of what we are really debating in this Chamber. So today I would like to dispel a few myths about the SAVE America Act and address the legitimate questions raised or voiced by some of my colleagues, but first I want to make sure we all understand how important this issue really is.

I consider myself uniquely qualified when I say that every vote matters. In 2022, I lost my first statewide election in Pennsylvania by 950 votes. That is 14 votes per county. I won my second election in 2024 by 15,000 votes--of over 7 million cast. These incredibly narrow races, each of which had electoral issues of their own, show just how important it is that our elections run smoothly, fairly, and that only legitimate votes are counted. And right now, we cannot--we must not-- pretend that all elections in America meet this important standard.

Just last year--just last year--in my home State of Pennsylvania, Chester County officials mistakenly omitted 7,000 third-party votes from the voter rolls. Registered voters were turned away at the polls, and an unknown number of unverified voters cast regular ballots.

Every single time Americans hear about election problems like those in Chester County, they rightly question the integrity of our electoral process.

It should come as no surprise to us that according to a recent Scripps and Ipsos poll, more than half of Americans--more than half-- are concerned about noncitizens voting and more than half fear electoral fraud.

The bottom line is we cannot stand in this Chamber and claim there is not a problem. There is a problem, and the people who put us here agree.

Colleagues, we have a duty to root out the source of this distrust and restore the integrity of our democratic process.

As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, we must not put to chance what John Adams called ``the primary right by which all other rights are protected.'' That is why I support Senator Lee's SAVE America Act. This bill will not fix every issue with our elections, but it does three critical things.

First, it prevents noncitizens from voting by requiring people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and to show a government-issued photo ID when casting a ballot.

Second, it directs the States to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls by mandating regular reviews of those lists and giving States the abilities and the tools to accomplish this critical task.

Finally, it improves accountability by strengthening the enforcement of the current law and imposing penalties on election officials who violate the law by registering noncitizens to vote.

Now, the requirements for voter ID and proof of citizenship in particular have been twisted and misrepresented. Let me set the record straight. Federal law mandates that only U.S. citizens may vote. However, under the Supreme Court's interpretation, voters are not required to show proof of citizenship. The risk is clear.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 10 million illegal immigrants entered our country during the last administration and a total of at least 22 million noncitizens reside in the United States. In 19 States, noncitizens can obtain a driver's license, and in some cases, that driver's license automatically registers them to vote. This is an unacceptable vulnerability in our election integrity. For that reason, it is now incumbent on Congress to close the loophole. We must secure the fundamental principle that voting is a right reserved only for American citizens.

The SAVE America Act also requires voters to show a government ID when casting a ballot. Now, I have heard some claim this is too high a barrier. Let's be serious. We ask Americans to show an ID to buy a beer, to board a plane, to donate blood, to apply for benefits, to even get married, but when it comes to electing leaders who decide the direction of our country, write our laws, and command our Armed Forces, no ID is required. That is absolutely absurd.

Now, many on the left look at our electoral system and say: There is nothing to see here, no issue, no problem. But that is what they said about wide-open borders. That is what they said about censoring conservatives online. That is what they said about the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. That is what they said about President Biden's cognitive decline. They were wrong on all those things, and they are wrong on this, too, and they are out of step with the country.

Americans of all political persuasions have supported tighter election laws for decades. In 2005, former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, joined former Secretary of State Jim Baker, a Republican, to form a Commission on election integrity. They identified voter ID laws as the single most important reform that was needed--20 years ago.

A vast majority of the American people agree. As we see here on a poll from the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats polled all support voter ID. My friends, if an 80- 20 issue such as this cannot get 60 votes in this 100-person Chamber, something is amiss.

Now, some of my colleagues have raised concerns regarding voter suppression. They warn that many U.S. citizens do not have a hard copy proving their citizenship. The SAVE America Act directly addresses this concern. It puts in place alternate documentation options, State verification processes, and other protections that will ensure citizens are not disenfranchised.

I also hear some of my colleagues voice fears of Federal overreach. As a conservative, I believe that the less government interference in people's lives, the better. But the SAVE America Act does not federalize our elections. Article I, section 4 of the Constitution makes clear that while States determine the time, place, and manner of Federal elections, the Congress ``may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations''; that is, we in the Congress, in this body, have the constitutional authority to set certain rules of the road nationwide. The SAVE America Act merely creates a mechanism to verify that State elections comply with existing law.

Now, there are other electoral reforms that are also necessary and critical, including Senator Hagerty's proposed Equal Representation Act, which I am proud to cosponsor.

It ensures that the census does not count noncitizens when determining congressional seats and electoral college votes.

Frankly, I worry. I worry that some on the left oppose the SAVE America Act simply because they want to cheat by allowing noncitizens to vote.

But, at the same time, and as always, for my Democratic colleagues in this body--in the Senate--who oppose this bill, I trust that they are acting in good faith. But I do ask them--I do ask them and all who oppose the SAVE America Act, regardless of party--to consider the extraordinary stakes.

We have the opportunity in this Congress to remove deep vulnerabilities in our elections and to restore America's trust in this core function of our Republic. I can think of few things more important than that, and for that reason, I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the SAVE America Act.

And if not--and if not--I respectfully challenge you to explain to the clear majority of your constituents why you believe our elections are not in desperate need of repair.

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