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“Congress says FISA protects America’s security. The SAVE Act protects America’s elections. Congress is moving one because it says the stakes are too high to ignore. The same standard should apply to the other.” — Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman, Election Transparency Initiative; former Attorney General of Virginia
ETI Calls on Congress to Attach SAVE Act to FISA Reauthorization: House-passed election integrity legislation should move with must-pass national security bill
Arlington, VA — June 8, 2026 — As Congress races to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before its June 12 expiration, the Election Transparency Initiative (ETI) is calling on congressional leaders to attach the SAVE Act and finally deliver citizenship verification for voter registration to President Trump’s desk.
Congress says that FISA protects America’s security. The SAVE Act protects America’s elections. Congress is preparing to move one because it says the stakes are too high to wait. The same is true for the other.
The SAVE Act has already passed the House of Representatives. President Trump has repeatedly called on the Senate to pass the legislation and send it to him for signature. Yet despite broad public support for requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, Senate leadership has failed to advance the measure.
ETI National Chairman Ken Cuccinelli said Congress should use the pending FISA reauthorization as the vehicle to move the SAVE Act forward.
“The House has acted. The President has spoken. The American people overwhelmingly support ensuring that only citizens vote in American elections,” said Cuccinelli.
“The only thing preventing the SAVE Act from becoming law is Senate inaction.”
“Most Americans don’t follow the details of FISA,” Cuccinelli continued. “But they understand that supporters say it’s related to America’s security. The SAVE Act protects America’s elections. Congress is moving one because they say the stakes are too high to ignore. The same standard should apply to the other.”
The SAVE Act would require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and would strengthen safeguards designed to help ensure voter rolls are limited to eligible voters.
Cuccinelli argued that attaching the SAVE Act to FISA is not merely appropriate—it may be the only realistic path forward.
“Let’s stop pretending the Senate is going to suddenly bring up the SAVE Act as a standalone bill,” said Cuccinelli. “It passed the House months ago. The President wants it. Voters want it. Yet the Senate continues to fail to move it. If Congress is assembling a package that it considers too important to fail, then the SAVE Act belongs in that package.”
ETI noted that lawmakers are currently engaged in intense negotiations to secure the votes necessary to move a FISA extension through Congress before the deadline.
“Congress attaches priorities to must-pass legislation every day,” Cuccinelli said. “If Senate leadership wants support for extending federal surveillance authorities, it should be willing to advance one of the most significant election integrity measures to pass the House in recent years.”
“The American people are tired of watching common-sense election safeguards get buried by Senate procedure and political gamesmanship,” Cuccinelli concluded. “The House passed the SAVE Act. President Trump has repeatedly called for its passage. Congress now has a vehicle that is moving. Attach the SAVE Act to FISA, send it to the President’s desk, and get it done.”
Media Availability
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About the Election Transparency Initiative
ETI works nationwide to advance commonsense election reforms that protect the integrity of the vote and strengthen public trust in election outcomes by enhancing transparency, accountability, and confidence in American elections. Ken Cuccinelli serves as National Chairman of ETI. He previously served as Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Attorney General of Virginia.
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