SANTA FE — Last week, House Republican leadership strongly advocated for passage of the SAVE America Act by appealing to Republican leadership at the federal level.

The SAVE America Act, which stands for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in federal elections by providing a valid photo ID at the voting booth. The bill passed the U.S. House in February but has not yet passed the Senate due to total opposition by Democratic senators.

Republicans in the New Mexico House of Representatives sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune last week urging him to prioritize the bill. The letter was signed by House Majority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, House Republican Whip Alan Martinez, R-Rio Rancho, and House Republican Caucus Chair Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences.

Armstrong, Martinez and Dow pointed to broad support for election security across party lines, touting its “80/20 level of support,” stating, “…the American people expect and demand an electoral system they can trust, and they are paying attention to those who are willing to ensure honest elections and those who are not.”

The representatives suggested Thune require senators who oppose the bill to publicly defend their decision on the Senate floor.

The letter highlighted what the lawmakers described as suppression of election integrity measures in Democratic-majority states such as New Mexico, claiming Democrats consistently oppose “even the most basic election integrity measures while shutting down all dissenting voices.”

Armstrong, Martinez and Dow also pointed to what they described as a lack of transparency created by lax voter laws, citing the refusal of the New Mexico Secretary of State to provide voter roll data to federal authorities.

New Mexico Republican House leadership closed the letter by urging Thune to advocate for Americans whose values are being disregarded by leaders in their states and called on him to advance the bill quickly.

The SAVE America Act is still awaiting passage in the Senate, and Thune has not publicly responded to the New Mexico House of Representatives’ letter.