Bryan Steil

Republican Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin has said voters who lack identification should be able to obtain an ID at no cost, as the House prepared to vote on a GOP-backed bill that would require proof of citizenship to register and identification to vote in federal elections.

Steil made the comments on NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday, citing Wisconsin’s policy of providing free Department of Transportation ID for voting following the state’s 2011 photo ID law.

Why It Matters

The remarks came as the House scheduled a vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, intensifying debate over voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements that supporters say bolster election confidence and critics say risk disenfranchising eligible voters.

Polling has found broad public support for showing government-issued photo ID to vote, a data point Republicans cite as they aim to pressure the Senate to consider the bill after earlier versions cleared the House but stalled in the upper chamber.

What To Know

“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,” Steil said, adding, “We want to make sure that more people are voting, not less,” and arguing that stronger rules would increase voter confidence.

The SAVE Act would require individuals to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and to present valid identification at the polls, specifying acceptable documents such as a passport, birth certificate, hospital record, or certain government-issued photo IDs, with states required to establish processes to verify citizenship.

House GOP leaders scheduled a floor vote and framed the push as a way to pressure the Senate, where internal Republican debate persisted over tactics such as a standing filibuster, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said the caucus would discuss without committing to the approach.

An earlier version of the SAVE Act passed the House with unanimous Republican support and backing from four Democrats—Representatives Ed Case of Hawaii, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington—before being received in the Senate in April 2025.

What Happens Next

The House Rules Committee set the measure for floor consideration, with GOP leaders expecting passage and aiming to increase pressure on the Senate to take up the bill.

Senate action remained uncertain amid Republican divisions over procedural tactics and Democratic opposition, leaving the bill’s path forward dependent on whether the upper chamber engages in extended debate or seeks other vehicles to consider the provisions.

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