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Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I first would like to say to my friend Senator Britt from Alabama that her introduction of our colleague Senator Mullin was terrific. I would say high fives to everything that you have said about our friend Markwayne, and I know that he will lead that organization in a stellar way. I look forward to his leadership. S. 1383

Mr. President, so this week, the Senate officially begins debate on a package of commonsense--commonsense--I am probably going to say it about ten times--commonsense measures that should unite all Americans.

Americans deserve to have confidence that every vote that is cast and counted comes from an American citizen and that the system itself is fair, secure, and transparent from start to finish.

That confidence is not automatic. It must be earned. It must be maintained and reinforced through clear, consistent standards that people understand.

It sounds pretty simple. The bill we are considering on the floor right now is something that we should all agree on. Specifically, here is what it does. It requires all voters show a photo ID. Think of all the times that we show photo IDs. This is not an onerous or a discriminating task. It requires all voters provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and it ends the abuses of the absentee voting system that we have seen in several States.

In addition to these simple, straightforward policies on voting, the bill has two more commonsense measures. It doesn't allow men in women's sports, and I have long championed this issue of such importance to our girls in West Virginia and across the Nation. And it does not allow transgender mutilation surgery for children.

So common sense. So let's discuss the substance of this when it comes to elections. The SAVE America Act reflects the basic expectation that America's elections need to be safe and secure. It does not reinvent the wheel. It simply reinforces standards that most Americans already are abiding by.

Think about it. In everyday life, as I said, we are routinely asked to verify who we are, whether it is to board a plane, check into a hotel, start a new job, drive, or even visit the doctor's office. No one views these steps as extraordinary. Maybe 10, 15, 20 years ago-- maybe--but no longer. No one sees them as controversial. Applying similar standards to our elections is not radical. It is just common sense.

The SAVE America Act ensures that those who are registered to vote are actually those who are eligible to vote. It ensures that the person who shows up to cast a vote--a ballot--is, in fact, who they say they are. These are not extreme ideas. They are very practical, reasonable steps that align with how we secure other important aspects of our society. In fact, more than 80 percent of Americans support ID requirements, including a strong majority of Americans. And the majority of States--including my State of West Virginia--already require some form of ID to vote, and we have for years.

Let me turn to the other core principle of this bill and one that I believe most Americans consider simply fundamental. Only American citizens should be able to vote in our Federal elections. It is not a partisan statement. It is a basic premise of what it means to have a sovereign democracy. Voting is one of the most important rights that we gain as citizens, whether you are a born citizen, a naturalized citizen--it is a precious right, and with that right comes the responsibility to ensure that it is reserved only for those who are legally eligible.

The SAVE America Act makes that expectation explicit by requiring proof of citizenship at the point of registration--again, not complicated. It is not controversial. It is basic. It is common sense. It is about ensuring the integrity of our Federal elections. It is not just protected on election day, but it is protected at the front end of the voting process.

As I said, it seems commonsense because it is. And you might wonder why we would need a policy to enforce this, but in 19 States--in 19 States--individuals who entered our country illegally are able to obtain a driver's license. It is a pathway in many States to the ability to vote. It provides them an opportunity to register and vote without a proof of citizenship.

The SAVE America Act closes this illegal voting loophole by requiring photo ID to vote, proof of citizenship to register, and requiring States to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls. Americans do not want illegals to vote. In fact, 62 percent of Americans support proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

The bill also addresses an issue that has generated a lot of discussion in recent years, which is absentee or mail-in voting. Let me be clear: This legislation does not eliminate absentee voting or mail- in voting. There are legitimate reasons why people vote like this. It could be an illness, disability, military service, being away from home for business or pleasure, or other hardships that prevent someone from voting in person. These voters absolutely need to continue to have access to the ballot.

But what the bill does is draw a clear line between access and abuse. In some States, we have seen practices that go well beyond traditional absentee voting. That includes mass, unsolicited mailing of ballots to individuals who did not request them. Let's say you had a family of five. Let's say the kids have left--all three of them are still registered. You get five ballots. You could send them in. That is fraud. Or it includes also automatically enrolling voters in advance in absentee voting simply because they had used it once before. These kinds of policies raise serious concerns about ballot security and ultimately public confidence, most importantly, in the outcome.

The SAVE America Act vote puts guardrails in place to prevent those abuses while still preserving absentee voting for those who truly need it.

And I will note this issue is not an issue in West Virginia. It has not created major challenges for us. In the 2024 general election, only 2.9 percent of our West Virginia ballots cast mail-in ballots.

We have early voting. Over 40 percent of our electorate votes on early vote. Our system has a more traditional, secure approach, and it is one that has helped maintain confidence in our elections. That is the balance that this bill is trying to strike: Protecting access while ensuring integrity. It is just common sense.

Ultimately, this is about preserving confidence in our democratic process. When people trust the system, our participation grows, outcomes are respected, and our institutions are strengthened. This is something every American, regardless of party, should agree on, and that is why this effort matters. That is why these commonsense protections deserve serious consideration. Department of Homeland Security

Mr. President, I also must address a separate matter that grows more serious with each passing day, and that is the Democrat-led shutdown of DHS. Today marks day 34--34 days of political brinksmanship. Thirty- four days where partisan posturing has taken precedence over the safety and security of the American people.

Enough is enough--especially now. Last week, we saw two terror- related incidents play out in Virginia and in Michigan. These are not distant threats or hypothetical scenarios. They were real events that underscore the very real dangers we face every day; and yet, at this very moment, the Department charged with helping to prevent, detect, and respond to such threats remains hamstrung by a lapse of funding. I really find it deeply troubling and frankly unacceptable that my Democrat colleagues have chosen to let disagreements over policy escalate into a full-scale funding lapse for our critical national security operations.

This is not an abstract debate, and these are real people that are missing their paychecks. This has real immediate consequences. Because of this shutdown, vital resources for our airports and TSA are strained. They are beginning to not show up in larger numbers. In fact, I just met with the folks from my local airport this week, and they told me they are starting to see this with a small cadre of TSA agents. The men and women who ensure the safety of millions of travelers every day are being asked to do their jobs with uncertainty hanging over their head. We are heading into a holiday season here where a lot of families are traveling. This is only going to escalate.

We have got FEMA, the Coast Guard, and thousands of law enforcement officers operating during a time when Americans expect and deserve effective emergency response. Let's be clear what is at stake here. This shutdown weakens America's border security. It undermines maritime security. It erodes our readiness to respond to emergencies.

We should not be playing politics with our national security, and we should not be gambling with the safety of our own citizens. The Americans expect us to lead here. They expect us to govern--that means get things done. And they expect us to come together, especially when the security of our homeland is on the line.

It is imperative that we fund DHS immediately--not tomorrow, not after another round of negotiations or shadow negotiations. So let's just set aside the politics. Let's fulfill our most basic responsibility to protect the American people.

I urge my colleagues to end this shutdown, restore stability, and put the safety of our Nation first.

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