Shawn Griffiths
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil says the federal government should not only mandate voter ID in federal elections, but the government should also provide these IDs for free ahead of a House vote on the SAVE America Act (H.R.7296).
This bill is another attempt by Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which has languished in the U.S. Senate since April 2025, along with Steil’s Make Elections Great Again Act, which is a much larger package of election rule changes introduced in January.
Republicans are demanding that the SAVE Act – which would require documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo voter ID when casting as ballot – make it to President Donald Trump’s desk ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic leaders – like U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer – call it "Jim Crow 2.0," focusing on the proof of citizenship requirement in the bill. They say it suppresses millions of eligible American citizens who do not have easy access to a passport or birth certificate.
When pressed on the issue of voter ID on CNN, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed Democrats support the issue being left up to states, while President Donald Trump is trying to "nationalize elections.”
Voter ID critics contend that while nearly all voters support photo ID laws in theory – including majorities of Democrats – the practical effect of federal mandates could be different, especially if proof-of-citizenship requirements delay registration or voting.
Republican leaders have mostly focused on voter ID, as they see it as a winning issue for them. Steil has previously referenced public opinion that shows a majority of U.S. voters across the political spectrum support a photo ID requirement to vote.
“If we go and ask folks whether or not you should have photo identification to vote, it’s overwhelmingly popular because it makes sense,” he said on News Nation. “And it is regular in their actual personal life.”
Republicans have long pointed out that voters need ID to cash a check, open a bank account, buy alcohol, board a plane, and other activities they do regularly.
Steil now says that not only should voter ID be mandated at the federal level, but IDs should be subsidized by the government. This could be a way to call Democrats to the table who say accessibility to required ID is an issue.
“If there’s an individual who doesn’t have an ID, there 100 percent needs to be a mechanism for that person to get an ID without a charge,” he says.
We want to make sure that more people are voting, not less. And I think instilling this confidence will actually result in more people coming to the polls.”
Steil's home state, Wisconsin, offers this under its voter ID system.
Wisconsin initially enacted its voter ID law in 2011. It faced years of legal challenges before being enshrined in the state constitution by referendum in April 2025, requiring voters to present an acceptable photo ID at the polls.
The state’s law allows for a variety of IDs, including:
- driver’s licenses,
- state-issued identification cards,
- tribal IDs,
- passports,
- military IDs,
- student IDs, and
- temporary DMV ID receipts
What sets Wisconsin apart from some other states that require photo ID to vote is that it offers a free ID that complies with the law.
The Wisconsin DMV will issue a no-fee ID card for voting purposes when applicants indicate they want it “for free for voting.” For those missing required documentation, the DMV can use alternative ways to verify a person’s voter eligibility and issue a temporary ID receipt.
Compared to the SAVE Act, Wisconsin has less stringent ID requirements -- including student IDs being a valid form of identification. So, the question is, will Steil offer an amendment when the SAVE Act comes up for a vote again later this week?
If Democrats are concerned about ID accessibility, amending the SAVE Act to require a free ID option could serve as an olive branch. And if this is solely about election integrity, then why would Republicans object?