What is the SAVE America Act that mandates voter ID?

What is the SAVE America Act that mandates voter ID?5 hours agoAna FaguyAnadolu via Getty ImagesThe US House of Representatives this week passed legislation that would require voters to provide proof-of-citizenship as the midterm elections approach. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, would require a people to present a valid US passport or birth certificate when registering to vote.The proposal has raised concerns among some groups, including married individuals who have changed their names and may not have matching documents.Democrats say the legislation disenfranchises eligible voters, while Republicans say it is necessary to prevent voter fraud. The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where it does not have enough backers.Here's what to know about this legislation.What are the new requirements? The SAVE act requires Americans to prove they are US citizens when they register to vote. It also requires a valid photo identification before they cast their ballots. Some states already require voters to show valid photo identification at the polls. Federal law mandates that voters in national election be US citizens, but it does not require mandatory proof of citizenship, as the proposed legislation would.This bill - a renewed version of a legislation introduced last year that was stalled - establishes a process for people whose names have changed to submit additional documents to verify their identity.The provision has drawn particular concern for individuals who changed their names after marriage. Under the legislation, election officials who register a voter without obtaining the required proof of citizenship could face criminal penalties. An estimated 21 million Americans do not have documents proving their citizenship readily available, and 2.6 million lack any form of government-issued photo ID, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.A Pew Research Center poll from last year found 83% of respondents favoured requiring all voters to show government-issued photo identification, including 71% of Democrat or Democratic-leaning voters and 95% of Republican or Republican-leaning voters. What does Trump say? President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised the legislation and encouraged his Republican Party to push it through both chambers of Congress so he can sign it into law. While supporting the bill, Trump has also repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. The president says the SAVE Act could stop that from happening. "American citizens, and only American citizens, should decide American elections," the White House posted on social media, referencing a common talking point of the president's that there is widespread fraud in elections. There is no evidence to support this. Members of the president's party, by and large, support the legislation too. Congressman Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican, disputed Democrats' comments that the bill is "voter suppression". "Those allegations are false," he said, arguing a bill is needed to enforce existing laws, especially those that prevent immigrants who are not citizens from voting."The current law is not strong enough," Steil said. When does the Senate vote? It is unclear if and when the Senate may vote on the measure. The legislation passed the House, mostly along party lines, in a 218-213 vote.But Majority Leader John Thune does not have the 60 votes he needs to pass the bill in the Senate. Some have urged Thune to change the filibuster rules by lowering the threshold required to pass a bill. "There aren't anywhere close to the votes, not even close, to nuking the filibuster," Thune said at a news conference on Tuesday. "So that idea is something, although it continues to be put out there. … That doesn't have a future."In addition, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would not back the measure if it came for a vote, which would make passage even more difficult.