Newly sworn-in U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin used his first remarks in office to back the proposed SAVE America Act, linking it to what he described as overwhelming public support for tighter voting rules.
Speaking on Tuesday, March 24, at the White House, Mullin said the legislation would be central to ongoing Republican efforts in Congress, pointing to support from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) to advance it through budget reconciliation.
“There’s a framework that we can do through reconciliation, paying for it, and put some of the policies that cost money in, because there’s nothing more important than the Save America Act. That’s what the American people want. There’s 80 percent of the population that says they want only Americans voting, citizens that are registered to vote, citizens that have done it the right way, and I believe that everybody wants an election in entirety,” Mullin said.
The remarks echo repeated claims by President Donald Trump and his allies that a large majority of Americans support stricter voter eligibility requirements, including the proof-of-citizenship and identification measures contained in the bill.
Senator Graham, who is backing the legislation, has said the measure would require voter ID in federal elections and mandate proof of citizenship during voter registration, while also directing states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
DHS chief Mullin speaks on broader DHS funding and ICE push
Mullin tied the proposal directly to ongoing negotiations over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, suggesting it could be included in a broader legislative package.
He said discussions around reconciliation could include “funding ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)” alongside policy provisions, referencing efforts to backfill resources from previous legislation while advancing new enforcement measures.
“Lindsey Graham, the chairman where the reconciliation will funnel through, is committed to making sure we get reconciliation through. If that is in some form with funding ICE, possibly backfilling from the One Big Beautiful Bill, but also, more importantly, the Save America Act.”
The comments come as DHS remains under pressure in Washington, where Democrats have withheld funding for agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to force changes to immigration enforcement at ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
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Mullin was sworn in as the ninth Secretary of Homeland Security with Trump in attendance, taking over from former Secretary Kristi Noem.
In separate remarks after the ceremony, the 48-year-old acknowledged the challenges facing the department, including the ongoing funding standoff. However, he added that partisan divisions would not shape his role.
“Today, I got the privilege of meeting so many of the employees at DHS. These employees have been there for 30 days without pay, and if you need anything to know their dedication to show up and still protect the homeland that you and I enjoy and the freedoms that we’re experiencing, they’re working for free because of politics,” he said, referring to DHS staff affected by the funding lapse.
“I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same, and we will do that. I’ll fight every single day.”
Senate approval
Mullin’s appointment follows a narrow confirmation process in the Senate, where he faced opposition from Rand Paul. His nomination advanced on Monday after support from John Fetterman, allowing it to reach a full Senate vote.
He now takes charge of DHS at a time of heightened scrutiny, with immigration enforcement, election security, and agency funding all under active debate in Congress.
President Trump had on Monday said he wants to tie the SAVE America Act to DHS funding as the stalemate between lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle continues.
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Speaking at a roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, to tout the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), a multi-agency, federal-led law enforcement initiative launched in late 2025 to combat violent crime in the city, Trump spoke of the chaos unfolding at airports across the country amid a lapse in DHS funding.
He also called for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.
“We want voter ID, we want proof of citizenship as part of our funding,” he said. “We want to merge them so that we can get the great, big, beautiful bill in action.”
On Monday, Trump’s administration deployed ICE agents to airports to assist the TSA with managing crowds and other duties.
