Dear WIN members,
You may have noticed there are politics nationwide that affect US members, as well as potentially women's right to vote. The SAVE Act was recently passed in the House of Representatives 4/10/25, the 119th Congress (2024-2025), and it now moves to the SENATE to vote. Of note, 220 voted yes (all Republicans plus 4 Democrats) versus 208 voted no (all were Democrats). If you want to see if your congressional leader voted, you may check here: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025102 Now, the senate would need 60 votes in order for it to pass, then the president would sign it into law. It likely will not pass the senate, but please note how close the numbers are getting to passing. Is this what you want? Do you care about people's ability to vote with the same ease as they historically have had? Or do you agree one should not be able to show their id, but rather be required to show either a passport (which is expensive and not obtainable quickly) or a marriage license and birth certificate if had a name change moving forward?
H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility(SAVE) Act. It is being touted as "commonsense legislation to uphold and strengthen current law to ensure only American citizens can vote in American elections" however it would prevent citizens from voting if their birth certificate is different from their current identification, affecting many married women as well as anyone who has changed their name. A driver's license would not be enough to prove citizenship, so passport or other paperwork would be required.
I hope this conversation stirs folks to not choose apathy. There are many women networks who are stirring, and watching in particular 5 states where the numbers matter regarding issues that may affect women: Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina. Please reach out to your representatives if you are concerned about these issues.
Thank you,
Barbara