Recorded in mid-February 2026, the week the House passed the SAVE America Act, just after an RNC meeting.
Guest
Heidi Engelhart, National Committeewoman for the South Dakota Republican Party (South Dakota's elected woman member of the Republican National Committee); she also writes and podcasts at Voice of the Plains
"The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of choosing Senators." - Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution
Update (October 2026)
The midterm convention Engelhart previewed happened. The RNC held its first-ever midterm convention Sept. 9-10, 2026, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, closing with speeches from Vice President JD Vance and President Trump.
The SAVE America Act passed the House 218-213 on Feb. 11, 2026 (the Wednesday night she mentions), as a House amendment to S. 1383. Every Republican voted yes, joined by one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas. South Dakota's Rep. Dusty Johnson voted yes.
The Senate took it up in March and the filibuster stopped it, as she warned. On March 21 a cloture vote on a Republican amendment failed 49-41, and on March 26 cloture on Sen. Jon Husted's photo ID amendment failed 53-47, with all 53 Republicans voting yes and every Democrat and independent voting no. Sixty votes were needed. The bill has not passed the Senate.
The original SAVE Act, H.R. 22, passed the House 220-208 on April 10, 2025, and has sat in the Senate since. The Make Elections Great Again Act, H.R. 7300 (Rep. Bryan Steil), has had no action since it was referred to committees in early February 2026.
Links
The U.S. Constitution (Congress.gov): https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/
Voice of the Plains, Heidi Engelhart's Substack: https://voiceoftheplainssd.substack.com/
H.R. 22, SAVE Act: requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22
H.R. 7296, SAVE America Act: proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote in federal elections: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7296/text
H.R. 7300, Make Elections Great Again Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7300
Update sources
House passes SAVE America Act, sending Trump-backed election bill to the Senate (NBC News, Feb. 11, 2026): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-passes-save-america-act-trump-backed-election-bill-rcna258614
SAVE America Act and federal voter registration law (Congressional Research Service): https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/IF12902.html
Senate floor log, March 21, 2026 (Senate Periodical Press Gallery): https://www.periodicalpress.senate.gov/saturday-march-21-2026/
Senate roll call 73, March 26, 2026, cloture on the photo ID amendment: https://suffragium.com/vote/senate/119/2026/73
House roll call 102, H.R. 22 SAVE Act, April 10, 2025 (Office of the Clerk): https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025102
Republicans gather in Dallas for two-day midterm convention (PBS NewsHour/AP, Sept. 9, 2026): https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republicans-gather-in-dallas-for-two-day-midterm-convention-billed-as-trump-a-palooza
Republican convention wraps with speeches from Vance, Trump (NPR, Sept. 10, 2026): https://www.npr.org/2026/09/10/nx-s1-5963880/trump-republican-midterm-convention-vance
