House Republicans have approved an election reform bill supported by President Donald Trump that would implement tighter voter identification rules, with one Democrat crossing party lines to back the measure. 

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act—passed Wednesday in a mostly party-line 218-213 vote—would require voters to present proof of citizenship and photo identification to cast ballots in all 50 states, alongside other provisions. It now heads to the Senate, where it faces little chance of securing the 60 votes needed to overcome a potential filibuster.

A prior version of the legislation cleared the House last year with support from four Democrats. But on Wednesday, Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar was the only party member to vote for the revised bill, which includes additional requirements pushed by Trump.

“I support the SAVE America Act because I believe in this fundamental principle: American citizens should decide American elections,” Cuellar said in a statement on X. He cited similarly strict voter identification standards in his home state, noting Texas “has some of the strongest election security laws in the country.”

Cuellar also stated that already registered voters’ status would remain unchanged under the bill, and that the legislation would require states to “accommodate name changes and accept multiple, commonly held forms of identification.”

Opponents of the bill argue its requirements would be difficult for many American citizens to meet. A 2023 Brennan Center for Justice study found that 9.1 percent of voting-age Americans—about 21.3 million people—lack ready access to documents proving their citizenship. Roughly half of U.S. citizens do not have a passport, meanwhile. And up to 69 million American women have birth certificates that do not reflect their legal names after changing surnames due to marriage.

Cuellar noted in his statement that the bill allows citizens to use an affidavit instead of traditional documents to prove their identification. 

“At the end of the day, election security and voter access go together,” Cuellar concluded. “When Americans trust the system, our democracy grows stronger. That’s why I voted yes.”

The bill appears nearly doomed in the Senate, given Republicans’ slim majority and Democrats’ past opposition to similar proposals. One Republican senator has already publicly opposed the legislation.

“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections—something we have long opposed,” Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said on X Wednesday. “Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts.”

Murkowski stressed that the Constitution gives “states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections,” and added that “one-size-fits-all” mandates “seldom work in places like Alaska.”

“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources,” she continued. “Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this.”

Trump and Republican supporters of the legislation contend it is a necessary measure to combat election fraud, though research indicates such fraud is .

“That’s it. That’s all that the bill does: proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote,” Speaker Mike Johnson said following the bill’s House passage. “This has become a bitter partisan fight, and it’s madness to us … We’re hoping that some Democrats in the Senate will come to their senses and do the right thing for the people.” 

In addition to the proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements, the bill would mandate that states share voter information with the Department of Homeland Security

Cuellar—a conservative Democrat who has served in the House since 2005—was charged last year alongside his wife with bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy. Federal authorities say the couple accepted around $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil and gas company and a Mexico City bank between 2014 and 2021. Trump pardoned the couple in December.

“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on,” Cuellar wrote in a message thanking the President.