It was an extremely busy week in Washington as we grappled with key negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding and House Republicans’ passage of critical legislation like the SAVE America Act and the Law Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act. Additionally, I was proud to introduce legislation this week to modernize recycling standards and strengthen air travel safety standards. These are bipartisan, common sense initiatives that are good for all Americans.
Unfortunately, we are once again in a partial government shutdown over Democrats’ refusal to agree to a deal on DHS funding. As I have said before, DHS is a vital agency that is responsible for far more than immigration and customs enforcement. They are responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity of our public infrastructure, TSA operations, the Coast Guard, FEMA and more. It is extremely dangerous and reckless to allow this department to shut down. And it’s particularly frustrating when the White House and Congressional Republicans have once again been negotiating in good faith to build consensus and get to a deal. ICE has withdrawn their operations from Minnesota and Republicans have agreed to some reforms like requiring agents to wear body cameras, however some of the Democrat demands simply go too far and put officers’ safety at risk. When Senate Republicans tried to advance another short-term spending bill to allow negotiations to continue, Democrats blocked it and forced another shutdown. This isn’t governing—it’s a cynical political ploy that sows chaos and puts our country at risk. I am confident that we can get to a resolution that allows for some reforms without sacrificing law and order or safety—but only if leaders are willing to put the country ahead of politics.
The same can be said for our efforts to implement voter ID. This week, House Republicans took the step of passing the Save America Act, legislation focused on strengthening trust in our democratic process and ensuring that every legal vote counts. For many Americans, confidence in our elections is fundamental, and this legislation is about reinforcing that confidence through practical, widely supported safeguards.
At its core, the bill establishes a national voter ID standard for federal elections, requires documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and directs states to create programs to identify and remove non-citizens from voter rolls. These are straightforward, reasonable steps designed to protect what is one of our nation’s most sacred rights — the right of American citizens to choose their leaders.
The truth is, voter ID is not a controversial idea outside of Washington. Polling consistently shows overwhelming public support, with roughly 83% of Americans — including strong majorities across party lines — supporting the requirement to show a government-issued photo ID to vote. A similar percentage support requiring proof of citizenship when registering for the first time. That tells us something important: Americans want secure elections, and they want confidence that only citizens are participating.
Passing the SAVE America Act is about restoring public trust. When people know that commonsense safeguards are in place, they can have faith in the outcomes, regardless of which side wins. Ensuring that elections are conducted fairly, securely, and transparently shouldn’t be a partisan goal, it should be a shared one.
As I have always promised, I will always call balls and strikes as I see them– and I will always fight to restore common sense into our government. We certainly need more of it in the halls of Congress and it starts with reopening DHS and protecting the integrity of our elections.
Sincerely,
Rep. Nicholas A. Langworthy
Member of Congress
