U.S. Senator Mark Kelly said the SAVE Act would make it more difficult for Americans to vote as House Republicans weigh tying the measure to a Department of Homeland Security funding package.
Kelly made the comments after a LindellTV reporter asked about the strategy of attaching the SAVE Act — legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register and vote in federal elections — to DHS funding.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Kelly said. “They just sent the FBI to raid Fulton County election office there, so I’m not surprised. They want to make it harder for people to vote, and they want to continue Donald Trump’s [beep] story about how his election was stolen in 2020.”
Asked directly whether he opposes requiring proof of citizenship or identification to vote, Kelly said he views the proposal as “an effort to make it hard for Americans to vote.”
His remarks came after the FBI executed a search warrant at a Fulton County elections office in Georgia as part of an investigation tied to how ballots from the 2020 election were handled. Federal authorities said the search related to potential election interference, though they did not announce criminal charges.
House Republicans have promoted the SAVE Act as a way to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections by requiring documentary proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. Democrats have argued the requirement could create barriers for eligible voters.
The SAVE Act was introduced in the House and is listed as H.R. 8281. The bill would require states to obtain proof of U.S. citizenship before registering individuals to vote in federal elections.
The FBI search in Georgia has drawn wider attention amid ongoing national disputes over election administration and security that have persisted since the 2020 presidential race.
