Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dropped mention in Senate te …
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) spoke in favor of passing the SAVE America Act, federally mandating voter ID at the polls, as he and state AG Ken Paxton continue to await an endorsement from the president in their upcoming runoff election.
Paxton had previously said he would consider dropping out of the race if Congress passes the voter ID bill. Cornyn has since been ramping up his efforts to push the legislation through.
Cornyn speaks on SAVE act
The latest:
In his testimony on the Senate floor Wednesday in favor of the bill, Cornyn called critics' concerns that it would disenfranchise millions of U.S. voters "insulting."
He also said current laws aimed at preventing voter fraud were not enough, and said further protections are desperately needed to secure elections.
New voter ID requirements
Cornyn noted that Americans already need ID to drive, buy alcohol, and board commercial flights.
What they're saying:
"I have never heard a complaint from any one of my almost 32 million constituents about their inability to drive because of the onerous burden of getting a driver's license, a photo ID," Cornyn said. "You can't run a house without a government ID. The American people are smarter than I think Democrats give them credit for."
Dig deeper:
The bill would require photo ID and proof of citizenship to be shown in all states. At the moment, 36 states require ID to be shown at the poll to vote; 24 require photo ID.
In many cases, an updated REAL ID would cover the voter ID bases, but if it does not prove citizenship, a voter would need a passport, birth certificate, or other document in addition. Critics' claims of "disenfranchisement" are rooted in studies that show millions of citizens don't have immediate access to the proper documents.
Recent changes to polling practices in two Texas counties showed the confusing effects of shaking up standard voting procedures. Those opposed to the bill worry voter turnout and overall results could be affected en masse in November.
Paxton says he might drop from Senate race if federal voter ID bill passes
Texas AG Ken Paxton says he would consider dropping out of the U.S. Senate runoff election if Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.
Banning mail-in ballots
Cornyn said that just because voter fraud is already illegal, it doesn't prevent people from attempting to break the law. He says the bill aims to prevent abuse of "lax" systems, such as mail-in voting.
What they're saying:
"With the dramatic increase of mail voting, voting by mail, that happened during the COVID pandemic, many Americans rightly became worried that this process of voting by email could be abused," Cornyn said. "If a ballot is mailed to the wrong address, particularly if it's not solicited, If it's just mailed out in mass. The various addresses. There's not much stopping the wrong person from filling it out, forging a signature, and dropping it in the mail."
Dig deeper:
The president believes mail-in ballots are fraudulent, but voting groups have long championed the practice as helping to make it easier for Americans to vote.
Mail ballots are popular in many states and federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens, with scant evidence that noncitizens ever try to vote.
SAVE America Act: Trump pushing to add ban on mail ballots
President Trump is pushing to add a ban on mail ballots to the SAVE America Act. Here’s what to know about the voting bill.
Trump's Senate endorsement
Local perspective:
While the president does not have the power to force a candidate to leave a political race, President Donald Trump made it clear he intended to be the deciding factor for the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas.
Tuesday was the last day to officially have a candidate's name removed from the ballot. Now that the deadline has passed, the runoff, which was up in the air to a degree following Trump's Truth Social post on primary week, has a bit more excitement to it.
What they're saying:
"I will be making my Endorsement soon," Trump said in his March 4 social post, "and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE! Is that fair? We must win in November!!!"
Cornyn campaign targets Paxton with AI-generated ‘Love Shack’ parody ad
Sen. John Cornyn's campaign on Tuesday released its latest political ad attacking his primary runoff opponent, Ken Paxton.
Trump said in the same post that both Cornyn and Paxton ran "great races," but the race for the general must be "PERFECT." The most recent moves in the Republican push for a nomination have been AI-generated attack ads.
What's next:
Whichever candidate wins the nomination on May 26 will face Democratic challenger James Talarico in November.
The Source: Information in this article comes from comments made by public servants, and previous FOX Local reporting.