Congress Advances Election Reform Efforts: SAVE America, MEGA, and Abe Firewall Agendas

Summary: SAVE America and MEGA Acts require voter ID and citizenship proof, while the Abe Firewall bans ranked-choice voting and foreign-language ballots.

NATIONAL - Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) have introduced the SAVE America Act, an updated and renamed version of their original Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The new bill adds a requirement for photo voter ID to cast ballots in federal elections, while retaining the original provision for proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or passport) when registering to vote. The update responds to calls for stronger election integrity measures, including from President Trump.

• Renaming and Voter ID addition announcement:

Separately, House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) has introduced the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act, a broader election reform package. It incorporates elements similar to the SAVE America Act, such as citizenship verification for registration and photo ID requirements for voting, while adding further provisions like mandating paper ballots for federal elections, prohibiting ballot harvesting, banning ranked-choice voting in federal general elections, restricting universal vote-by-mail, setting election-day deadlines for mail-in ballots, and limiting the use of taxpayer funds for certain voter registration activities. The MEGA Act seeks to set minimum baseline standards for federal election administration to enhance public confidence.

In another development, Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has announced the "Abe Firewall," a legislative agenda focused on election integrity, described as "Americans for Better Elections." This package includes four bills aimed at codifying executive actions and addressing perceived vulnerabilities in voting processes.

During recent Senate GOP discussions on Department of Homeland Security funding, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated support for advancing updated election integrity legislation, including potential floor consideration after committee review.

These efforts occur amid ongoing negotiations on government funding and broader priorities in the new Congress.

Key Developments:

• The SAVE America Act builds on prior versions by combining citizenship proof at registration with voter ID at the polls and includes measures for states to verify citizenship, maintain clean voter rolls, and penalize improper registrations.

• The MEGA Act expands on similar themes with additional reforms aimed at standardizing federal election practices.

• The Abe Firewall agenda consists of:

  • H.R. 2499: Codifies Executive Order 14248, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, prosecuting noncitizens for voting, and removing noncitizens from voter rolls.

  • H.R. 2054 (VOTE Act): Mandates federal ballots be printed only in English, aligning with an executive order declaring English as the official language.

  • H.R. 3040 (Preventing Ranked Choice Corruption Act): Bans ranked-choice voting in federal elections.

  • H.R. 4851 (PROVE Act): Closes a loophole in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) by requiring non-military overseas civilians to prove actual residency in a state to vote absentee.

• Supporters of these bills emphasize protecting the integrity of elections and ensuring participation is limited to U.S. citizens.

• Critics of such measures argue that noncitizen voting is already illegal and rare, and that added requirements could create barriers for eligible voters, including those with name changes (e.g., married women), limited access to specific documents, or preferences for multilingual ballots.

• GOP leaders continue discussions on attaching election-related provisions to appropriations bills, though challenges like Senate filibuster rules (requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation) remain.

Stay tuned for committee hearings, potential amendments, floor votes, and any intersections between the SAVE America Act (likely Senate-led), MEGA Act (House-led), and Abe Firewall efforts.

Understanding the Legislative Process

In the U.S. government, bills like the SAVE America Act, MEGA Act, and components of the Abe Firewall follow a structured path to become law. A bill is introduced in either the House or Senate and referred to relevant committees for hearings, markup, and possible amendments. If approved by the committee, it moves to floor debate and a vote in that chamber. If it passes one chamber, it goes to the other for consideration. Differences between versions are resolved through negotiations or a conference committee, followed by final approval in both chambers. The bill then goes to the President for signature or veto; a veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in each chamber. This system provides checks and balances across branches of government.

What happens now: The SAVE America Act has been introduced and may proceed through Senate committees, with potential momentum from leadership support and cosponsor growth. The MEGA Act, as a House initiative, is likely to start in the House Administration Committee. The Abe Firewall bills, introduced in the House, could advance individually or as a package, potentially intersecting with other reform efforts through amendments or reconciliation. Progress depends on priorities, negotiations (including around funding deadlines), and procedural hurdles like cloture in the Senate.

How people can get involved: Citizens can stay informed through official congressional websites (congress.gov), contact their elected representatives via phone, email, or official forms to express views on pending legislation, attend public committee hearings when available, or participate in nonpartisan civic education efforts. Registering to vote, voting in elections, and encouraging informed participation strengthen democratic processes.​

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