Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Wednesday backtracked a leaked letter to a constituent to support proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
A letter from Grassley’s office began circulating online Tuesday. While the name of the constituent is blacked out, it is clear that Grassley was writing in response to a constituent concerned about election integrity.
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“I agree with you that it is important to make sure that our country’s elections occur without fraud. As a senator, I have opposed partisan efforts in Washington, D.C. to federalize elections in order to undermine election integrity,” Grassley’s letter reads.
Grassley addressed the letter in an X post on Wednesday to say that he supports the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
“Dont believe everything u read on the internet Im not opposed 2 SAVE Act In fact Ive been fighting alongside Iowa Scty of State Pate 2hold Biden admin accountable for their hiding immigration/citizenship voter data in 2024 election ELECTIONS MUST B SECURE W ONLY CITIZENS VOTING,” Grassley wrote.
Grassley’s letter goes on to refer to the For the People Act, which passed the House of Representatives in 2021, and the Freedom to Vote Act, which was the Senate’s amended version that did not pass the upper chamber. The legislation would have suppressed election audits, automatically registered voters, allowed voting by mail on a national basis, and made Election Day a national holiday, among other provisions.
“I do not believe that Iowa and other states need politicians in Washington D.C. dictating and controlling how states run their elections,” the letter reads. “I also support requiring voter identification because I believe that every fraudulent vote dilutes the votes of legitimate voters.”
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Some online users interpreted the letter to mean that Grassley is opposed to the SAVE Act, sponsored by fellow Judiciary Committee member Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
“Why won’t you secure our elections?” influencer Scott Pressler wrote on X Tuesday.
Lee also responded to Grassley’s letter in an X post, which was shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
“Federal law *is* the problem here; a federal statute—the NVRA—has been (wrongly) interpreted by the courts to prohibit states from seeking proof of citizenship,” Lee wrote on X. “The SAVE Act would fix the problem. You can’t default to federalism when federal law is itself the problem.”
Notably, the failed Freedom to Vote Act allowed for a bank statement or utility bill as identification sufficient to vote in federal elections.
Voter registration in Iowa increased by over 85,000 between 2023 and 2024. Between 2020 and 2022, there were 160,145 new valid voter registration applications. In Iowa, these applications do not require proof of citizenship.
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The House passed the SAVE Act last year, and the Senate has yet to bring it to a vote.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Grassley’s office for comment.
