Republican Rep. Bryan Steil said it was “nuts” that the United States requires identification to buy beer but not uniformly to vote, as the House of Representatives passed legislation mandating proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and photo identification for federal elections.
Steil made the remarks during floor debate on Feb. 11 in support of the Save America Act, also known as the SAVE Act, which the Republican-controlled House approved by a 218–213 vote.
“I think it’s nuts that we protect our beer in this country more than our ballots and jurisdictions,” Steil said, arguing that voter identification requirements are a “common sense principle.” He said the bill would help “regain the trust of the American people” in U.S. elections.
It's nuts that we protect our beer in this country more than our ballots! pic.twitter.com/spE8XWMi3v
— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) February 11, 2026
The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and impose criminal penalties on election officials who register voters without the required documentation.
Republicans also added a photo ID requirement for people casting ballots at polling places and by mail in subsequent federal elections, citing polling showing broad public support for voter identification laws, Reuters reported.
During his remarks, Steil said the bill is based on two principles: that only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections and that voters should be required to show identification. “We should be proving that citizenship at the point in time that an individual registers to vote,” he said.
Steil also referenced Georgia’s election law enacted in 2021, saying voter participation remained high in subsequent elections and that a University of Georgia survey found positive voter experiences across demographic groups. He said the results showed that making voting “easy” while making it “hard to cheat” increases confidence in elections.
Supporters of voter ID laws have pointed to everyday identification requirements as justification for similar rules in elections. In a recent exchange posted by Lindell TV on social media, a reporter asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren whether she supported voter ID requirements. Warren said such policies depend on how they are defined, arguing that proposals requiring documents such as birth certificates could create problems for married women whose names differ from those on their original records.
Warren also said that provisions in the SAVE Act would render most driver’s licenses insufficient as identification for voting, which she said would pose “a terrible problem.” When asked whether voters should need ID to cast a ballot, she responded that a birth certificate should not be required.
🚨 Elizabeth Warren Says the SAVE Act “Creates Obstacles” for Voters
— LindellTV (@RealLindellTV) February 9, 2026
When asked directly whether she supports voter ID, @SenWarren argued that the SAVE Act makes voting harder, especially for married women.
Our reporter noted that Americans need ID to do almost everything else… pic.twitter.com/kd3rX8aleQ
Democrats opposed the bill, saying it would impose unnecessary burdens on voters and could disenfranchise eligible citizens who lack easy access to documents such as passports or birth certificates.
The House vote sends the measure to the Republican-led Senate, where it is expected to receive a vote.
