NAWBO Releases Statement on House Vote on H.R. 22
Washington, D.C. — NAWBO released a statement this afternoon after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act, in a vote of 220-208.
” We understand lawmakers are working to ensure that only American citizens vote, but it is the unintended consequences of the SAVE Act that NAWBO is concerned about,” said NAWBO Advocacy Chair Megan Patton. “For married businesswomen who have legally changed their last name after marriage, it could be incredibly difficult to meet the new requirements because the last name on their birth certificate does not match their current ID that contains their spouse’s surname. One common way to prove citizenship is through a passport, but more than 50% of Americans do not have a passport according to survey data. As we’ve stated in meetings on Capitol Hill, we encourage Congress to modify this legislation to ensure that it does not create unintended barriers to women’s participation in the electoral process.”
About NAWBO
Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of America’s more than 14 million women-owned businesses. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries. NAWBO develops programs that help navigate women entrepreneurs through the various stages of their business growth. To learn more, please visit www.nawbo.org.