Mike Lee urges Congress to pass the SAVE America Act after Lindsey Graham’s death
Jul 13, 2026, 4:00 PM
FILE: Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) (L) talks with Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in 2020 in Washington, DC. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Ut, has asked Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, saying it would be "one of the best ways" to honor Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday. (Caroline Brehman, Pool, Getty Images)
(Caroline Brehman, Pool, Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mike Lee is repeating calls for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act over the weekend, saying it would be “one of the best ways” to honor Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday.
The Utah Republican senator has long been pushing for passage of the bill, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and create a national voter database using state records. President Donald Trump has also been a proponent of the bill and allowed a bipartisan housing bill to take effect without his signature in protest of the voting bill not yet passing.
The president said he spoke with Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, before his passing on Saturday and said the senator promoted passing the SAVE America Act. Graham, 71, died of a heart issue, according to preliminary findings from Washington’s medical examiner.
“He was pushing the SAVE America Act like crazy,” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, recalling a conversation after Graham’s return from a recent trip to Ukraine. “He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act. And I said, ‘Well, we’re going to get it done, Lindsey. We’re going to get it done.'”
Lee shared a video of Trump’s interview on X, saying Graham has discussed the bill “in what might well have been his final phone call.”
Lee said Graham “had a lot of enthusiasm for the bill” and said the Senate should find a way to pass the bill soon in an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“One of the best ways we could honor Lindsey Graham’s legacy would be to take this up and pass it this month,” he said.
It doesn’t matter as much HOW we take up and pass the SAVE America Act.
What matters is that we do it—now.
There are multiple roads that could lead to that outcome. pic.twitter.com/9fMgvdrFt4
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 12, 2026
Despite pressure from the president and some Republicans, the SAVE America Act has stalled in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said there are not enough votes to change the rules to allow the bill to pass with a simple majority, rather than meet the required 60-vote threshold.
Cox orders flags at half-staff to honor Graham
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Monday ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in the state to honor the late Graham. Cox’s order directs that U.S. flags and state flags be lowered on all state facilities beginning immediately and return to full-staff at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
He invited private citizens, business and organizations to do the same in recognition of Graham.
