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Floor Speech
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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, soon, the Senate will debate a bill. The bill is called the SAVE America Act.
The policies in this bill have the support of more than 80 percent of Americans. Some of my colleagues say that the SAVE America Act isn't necessary. They are wrong. There are two fundamental, commonsense reasons as to why 80 percent of Americans support the policies of this legislation.
No. 1, only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in our elections. So this bill simply requires Americans to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
No. 2, it requires a photo ID when voting. This helps to ensure the person who is registered to vote in that election is the person who is actually casting that ballot.
The SAVE America Act would give voters peace of mind that Federal elections are conducted fair and square. It would give voters peace of mind that their vote isn't diluted by people who are not eligible to vote.
I am a cosponsor of the SAVE America Act. I support free, transparent, and accurate elections. Every American deserves the absolute confidence that there is no funny business distorting election outcomes.
Let me tell you about the track record in my home State of Iowa.
Voter ID laws in my State have been successful and well received since the passage in 2017. Iowa's voter turnout increased in the 2018 mid-term elections, and turnout has continued to remain very strong. So the proof is in the pudding.
Iowa's track record demonstrates voter ID improves the integrity and security of our elections. It also enhances voter turnout and boosts public confidence in the outcomes of elections.
Nearly a century ago, a Supreme Court Justice said that States are the ``laboratories of democracy.'' Guess what. Iowa has shown voter ID laws work. They don't impede voter turnout, as Iowa has shown. Voter ID boosts the public trust. In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 States have voter ID laws on the books. This bill would apply a minimum Federal standard much like other Federal voting laws.
Partisan critics of this commonsense bill are misleading the public with bad information. This bill would not make it harder to vote. Americans ought to be insulted by the arguments being made on the other side of the aisle.
I am confident Americans are capable of bringing a photo ID with them to vote. That happens to be no different than when they drive, when they open a bank account, when they board an airplane, when they buy cold medicine, or sign up for government benefits. These are all examples of people showing ID.
Another argument claims it is unfair to require people to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. That is even more revealing in coming from the other side because it makes the Biden administration's open border policy even more alarming.
After President Biden allowed more than 12 million people to illegally enter our country, protecting the right to vote for American citizens is top of mind to the millions of law-abiding citizens throughout America. Because of the influx of illegal immigrants streaming into our country during Biden's border crisis, it is not surprising Americans want to suppress voter fraud and ensure every ballot is legitimate.
The bill gives voters five different ways to show proof of citizenship, and it gives States the flexibility to create other pathways to show proof of citizenship. For example, for those whose current name doesn't match their birth certificate, they can provide a marriage certificate or other name change verification.
I have been honored to serve in my elective office for many decades. I have worked hard to earn every vote at the ballot box. Public trust in elective officeholders requires public trust in our elections.
Voting rights have a long history in America's march to a more perfect Union. They are enhanced by the 15th Amendment to the Federal Constitution and by the 19th Amendment to the Federal Constitution.
My mother was one of the very first women to cast a ballot after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. I have shown proof of that with placards here on the floor of the U.S. Senate in a speech that shows her picture in the Des Moines Register newspaper and the Waterloo Courier newspaper.
The SAVE America Act doesn't infringe on these hard-fought voting rights. It would preserve the integrity of every vote cast in a Federal election. Election integrity is sacred to our system of self- government.
Losing public trust in the outcome of elections would be a death knell for our fragile American experiment, even though it is 250 years long.
For our Nation's 250th birthday, the SAVE America Act is a gift to current and future generations to strengthen our system of self- government.
This brings me to more commonsense policies included in the bill, as well as the voting issues.
Like many Americans, I am alarmed by the prevalence of gender mutilation surgeries being performed on minors. Protecting children makes our society stronger. Irreversible damage from gender reassignment surgery should not be conducted on kids. This bill would put an end to this reckless practice on American children. The SAVE America Act would make this policy the law of the land this very week.
On another issue in the bill, America is in the thick of March Madness. Filling out brackets, watching buzzer-beaters, and cheering on Cinderella contenders is a rite of passage during the month of March. I am thrilled to cheer on our Iowa teams in the NCAA Tournament, including two women's teams--the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones--as well as three men's teams--the Hawkeyes, the Cyclones, and my alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers.
Earlier this month, the Iowa high school basketball tournament brought the best of 32 girls teams and 32 boys teams from across the State to compete in 4 divisions. These young athletes deserve to compete on a level playing field--girls against girls, boys against boys. This is a matter of fairness.
Our bill would guarantee a level playing field for young athletes. Title IX was enacted a few years before I became a Member of Congress. It has been a game changer for women's sports.
Just think of Iowa University's Caitlin Clark. She has blazed a trail for women's sports for generations to come.
The SAVE America Act delivers commonsense government to the American people. As a student of history, I would prophesize that Americans looking back at this debate, 250 years from now, will scratch their heads, because protecting election integrity and protecting women's sports are as American as motherhood and apple pie.
In fact, 80 percent of Americans are able to see eye to eye on these issues. When it comes to elections, 80 percent of the American people support voter ID. I have even seen polls that say that 71 percent of the Democrats support voter ID.
I encourage my colleagues across the aisle to join us and pass the SAVE America Act without delay.
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