By Gloria Ogbonna
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) on Monday unveiled new legislation aimed at reviving a previously House-passed 60-day funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while simultaneously attaching the SAVE America Act — a sweeping election-security package.
The move signals that some House Republicans are continuing to press for stricter election provisions even as the Senate shifts toward using budget reconciliation to address border and immigration funding.
Combining DHS Funding With Election Security
Roy’s proposal, titled the “Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026,” is structured in three divisions. It includes full-year DHS appropriations, an additional continuing resolution to extend temporary funding, and the incorporation of the SAVE America Act.
The continuing resolution section would amend existing stopgap funding legislation by extending coverage through the date of enactment. It specifies that the extension would retroactively apply beginning February 14, 2026, when DHS funding lapsed.
Notably, the bill rejects portions of the current DHS funding framework. It stipulates that language in the explanatory statement relating to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Security Operations “shall have no force or effect.”
It also sets the funding amounts listed for those accounts in the “Department of Homeland Security Act, 2026” table at zero dollars and prohibits transferring funds into the CBP Border Security Operations account under the DHS appropriations structure.
SAVE America Act Provisions
The SAVE America Act, which Roy seeks to attach to the DHS funding extension, includes several election-related reforms. Among its provisions:
- A requirement for documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote
- Mandatory voter identification
- Restrictions on universal mail-in voting, limiting it to cases involving disability, illness, travel, or military service
- Codification of protections for women’s sports
- A ban on transgender surgeries for minors
Under the bill text, acceptable documentation for proving citizenship would include a valid U.S. passport, a REAL ID-compliant identification card showing citizenship, or certain military or government-issued identification reflecting birth in the United States.
Roy’s Position on the Strategy
In comments provided to Breitbart News, Roy stated that House Republicans have already passed both the SAVE America Act and full DHS funding multiple times. He argued that lawmakers should not concede to Democratic demands or rely on reconciliation in a way that, in his view, could jeopardize ICE and Border Patrol funding.
“The House GOP has acted responsibly,” Roy said, asserting that the newly filed bill would both fully fund border enforcement agencies and advance what he described as President Trump’s top election priority.
Roy further suggested that, following passage of his proposal, lawmakers should move swiftly to advance a reconciliation bill addressing broader America First priorities, including defense funding.
President Trump’s Role in the Debate
President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he does not support any DHS funding agreement that excludes the SAVE America Act. On March 22, Trump said Democrats were seeking a funding deal but that no agreement should move forward without passage of the election-security provisions.
In subsequent posts on Truth Social, Trump urged Republicans not to strike a deal unless Democrats voted in favor of the SAVE America Act. On March 26, he called on Senate Republicans to consider eliminating the filibuster if necessary to pass DHS funding together with the full slate of SAVE America Act measures.
House-Senate Divide
The legislative push comes amid sharp disagreements between the House and Senate over how to address DHS funding. On March 27, House conservatives rejected a Senate-passed package that excluded funding for ICE removal operations and CBP enforcement. Following negotiations with the House Freedom Caucus, Speaker Mike Johnson agreed to move forward with a 60-day stopgap measure that funded all DHS components, including ICE and CBP.
At the time, Roy described the Senate bill as “a non-starter,” arguing that the House should stand firmly behind border enforcement agencies. House conservatives have maintained that DHS funding should be linked to broader border security and voter identification measures.
Senate Reconciliation Strategy
Meanwhile, the Senate has increasingly indicated that it may address ICE and border enforcement funding through the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority of 51 votes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled that Republicans may pursue that route after the Senate approved its DHS package.
Roy has expressed caution about relying on reconciliation to fund homeland security. While he previously acknowledged that a compromise excluding ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations funding might have been considered, he later warned that shifting DHS funding outside the traditional appropriations process could set what he called a “dangerous” precedent.
He argued that reconciliation may ultimately become necessary if bipartisan support cannot be achieved, but cautioned that it could delay funding and disrupt the standard legislative framework governing homeland security appropriations.
Broader Implications
Roy’s legislation underscores ongoing tensions within Congress over how to balance homeland security funding, border enforcement, and election reform. With House Republicans pressing to link DHS appropriations to the SAVE America Act and the Senate signaling interest in reconciliation, negotiations are likely to continue in the coming weeks as lawmakers seek a path forward.
The debate highlights broader divisions over immigration enforcement, voting regulations, and legislative strategy — issues expected to remain central in Washington as funding deadlines approach.
Source Breitbart
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