WASHINGTON — Congressman Michael Cloud (R-TX) expressed disappointment after the failure of the funding bill, which included the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The bill would have ensured the government remains funded through March 28, 2025, with no additional spending increases while protecting the integrity of U.S. elections by requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Over the past three years, millions of illegal immigrants have crossed the border due to the Biden-Harris administration’s lax policies. This surge has led to growing concerns among Americans that noncitizens may be able to influence the outcome of American elections. Democrat-run states, such as Pennsylvania and Arizona, have made little effort to ensure noncitizens are removed from voter rolls, while Republican-led states like Texas have already removed thousands of noncitizens from their voter rolls since 2021. The SAVE Act requires all states to verify citizenship status before allowing individuals to register to vote, which Democrats in Congress have consistently blocked.

The urgency behind passing the SAVE Act in this funding bill was twofold: It not only secures election integrity, but it also blocks a December “lame-duck” session where Democrats could push through a trillion-dollar omnibus package, further entrenching their policies into the next administration. Unfortunately, because some Republicans would rather give up and accept defeat instead of standing up to fight for this effort, it is now very likely that the DC apparatus and Biden-Harris administration work together to jam a multitrillion-dollar omnibus bill through Congress right before Christmas and hand tie a potential Republican President from making any meaningful cuts next year.

Rep. Cloud released the following statement:

“Today’s vote was a missed opportunity to safeguard our elections and protect taxpayers from another bloated, multi-trillion-dollar Christmas omnibus. Though I don’t support CRs as a long-term solution—and have never supported one in the past—this one included meaningful reforms and was our best shot at stopping both a December omnibus and noncitizens from influencing our elections.

I thank my fellow conservatives, especially Chip Roy and Mike Lee, who fought to get the SAVE Act included in this funding bill. Unfortunately, too many in Washington are more interested in preserving the status quo than in securing our elections and protecting the American people from the woke and weaponized DC regime.”