During a panel this week on CNN’s News Night with Abby Phillips, Federalist reporter Brianna Lyman destroyed former Biden advisor and Democratic political consultant Neera Tanden by fact-checking her with CNN’s own reporting on support for the SAVE America Act and voter ID requirements.
By the end of the exchange, even left-wing host Abby Phillips agreed with Lyman that the SAVE Act is a common sense bill.
Lyman said the SAVE America Act is an 80-20 issue, but Tanden fired back, claiming that “60 percent of people are opposed to it,” and the legislation would require “people to have passports or their birth certificates.” Even if it were true, this is a reasonable requirement for proving you are a citizen of the United States.
Under the bill, at least five forms of identification are accepted as documentary proof of citizenship, including a driver’s license.
Lyman responded to Tande’s claims, citing a 2024 Gallup poll that showed 83% of Americans, including two-thirds of Democrats, support voter ID.
CNN has even reported on this polling, with Jake Tapper calling Schumer out on CNN last month, noting that “83% of the American people, including a majority of Democrats, support voter ID laws.”
But Tanden bizarrely replied, “The SAVE Act is not voter ID. That’s my point,” sparking a back-and-forth in which Lyman noted that it is extremely easy to obtain one’s birth certificate. “It takes about 10 minutes. You could request your birth certificate. They mail it to you,” said Lyman. “The next question becomes lots of poll tax. I think Republicans should come up with a compromise and say we will give you a tax rebate if you paid for that.”
Abby Phillips then chimed in, calling a tax rebate a “good compromise” for the SAVE America Act. Still, it with or without a tax rebate, there is no excuse for a person to have an ID, which is necessary to buy alcohol and tobacco, drive a car, and board flights in the US. The supposed “poll tax” concern is just another BS excuse to oppose free and fair elections.
Tanden continued trying to talk over Lyman, arguing that people shouldn’t have to get their birth certificates. “First of all, you’re making it seem like everybody’s missing their birth certificate. That’s not true,” Lyman responded to the bogus argument.
WATCH:
Lyman: This is legislation that is extremely popular. It’s an 80-20 issue for Republicans, Democrats, independents, and it’s common sense election integrity.
Tanden: Actually, it’s not an 80-20 issue when you actually described the SAVE Act, which requires people to have passports or their birth certificates. 60 percent of people are opposed to it.
Lyman: As for this not being an 80-20 issue, that’s incorrect. A 2024 Gallup poll, 84 percent of adults favor photo ID, 83 percent favor documentary proof of citizenship to register. That’s 66 percent of Democrats, 84 percent of independents, 96 percent of GOP. A 2025 August poll, 83 percent of adults favor voter ID. Also, you talked about —
Tanden: The SAVE Act is not voter ID. That’s my point.
Lyman: It is voter ID and documentary proof of citizenship, which Gallup poll literally scored. Second of all, you mentioned birth records. There is a thing called vital check, which 45 states have. The other five states require you to go through their own state databases. And you could – it takes about 10 minutes. You could request your birth certificate. They mail it to you. The next question becomes lots of poll tax. I think Republicans should come up with a compromise and say we will give you a tax rebate if you paid for that.
(CROSSTALK)
Lyman: First of all you’re making it seem like everybody’s missing their birth certificate. That’s not true. Last but not least, when it comes to women —
Phillip: That’s a good compromise. I mean, look, I do think that attempts to actually address concerns about this legislation would be useful here.
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