Mike Johnson says House will make another attempt to advance SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House plans to pursue a fourth attempt, and possibly a final attempt, to advance the SAVE Act, a voter-identification proposal that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot, according to remarks reported by The Washington Times on July 5, 2026.

Johnson’s comments frame the effort as a streamlined “no-frills” version of the measure, an approach intended to reduce additional provisions and focus narrowly on the core voting requirements described by the outlet. The speaker did not describe in the report the bill’s prospects for House passage or its schedule for committee consideration, but he indicated the chamber’s intent to take another floor run.

The SAVE Act, as described in the report, targets two points in election administration: voter eligibility and ballot access. Under the proposal’s requirements as summarized, states would have to determine whether registrants can provide proof of citizenship, and voters would generally need to present photo identification at the time of voting.

Republicans in the House have repeatedly sought to tighten voter ID rules and eligibility verification through federal legislation, with Democrats and voting-rights groups arguing such requirements could restrict voting access or add administrative burdens for voters who already are eligible. In Johnson’s pledge as reported, Republicans are emphasizing enforcement and election integrity concerns rather than any broader policy package.

The outlet’s report does not identify specific committee votes, a House floor calendar item, or an introduced bill number associated with the “no-frills” version Johnson referenced. It also does not include an official statement from House leadership that can be independently verified in an official legislative record in the materials available for this draft.

Congressional action on any SAVE Act version would be dependent on the bill being formally introduced or reintroduced in the House, receiving committee consideration, and passing the chamber under the applicable rules. The measure would then face additional action in the Senate, where the path to enactment typically depends on the bill’s support level and whether it can clear procedural and floor thresholds.

Because this draft is centered on Johnson’s stated intent and a report of his remarks, readers are expected to verify the exact bill text and the House procedural posture once an official legislative record is posted for the “no-frills” version referenced by the speaker.