Chuck Grassley Backtracks After He Appears To Oppose Federal Voter ID Laws In Leaked Letter

Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley sparked backlash after he appeared to push back against federal voter ID laws in response to a constituent’s general inquiry about election integrity in a letter.

Grassley, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote in a Jan. 20 letter to a constituent that he doesn’t think Washington, D.C., needs to interfere in elections.

Dont believe everything u read on the internet Im not opposed 2 SAVE Act In fact Ive been fighting alongside Iowa Scty of State Pate 2hold Biden admin accountable for their hiding immigration/citizenship voter data in 2024 election ELECTIONS MUST B SECURE W ONLY CITIZENS VOTING

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) January 21, 2026

“I do not believe that Iowa and other states need politicians in Washington D.C. dictating and controlling how states run their elections,” the letter reads. “I also support requiring voter identification because I believe that every fraudulent vote dilutes the votes of legitimate voters.”

He said that states are responsible for creating election laws, and that “state laws vary in what identification they require from voters on Election Day beyond the minimum federal requirement.”

The letter from Grassley’s office began circulating online Tuesday. Although the constituent’s name is redacted, the correspondence responds to concerns raised about election integrity. (RELATED: Chuck Grassley Says He’s Helping Trump By Holding Up Some Of His Nominees)

Grassley responded to the circulating letter in a post on X Wednesday, stating that he is not opposed to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) Act, which would mandate that states verify a person’s citizenship before registering them to vote in any federal election. It would also require state officials to purge non-citizens from current voter registration lists.

“Don’t believe everything u read on the internet Im not opposed 2 SAVE Act In fact Ive been fighting alongside Iowa Scty of State Pate 2hold Biden admin accountable for their hiding immigration/citizenship voter data in 2024 election ELECTIONS MUST B SECURE W ONLY CITIZENS VOTING,” Grassley wrote.

After the letter circulated online, some interpreted Grassley’s remarks as opposition to the SAVE Act, sponsored by fellow Judiciary Committee member Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who responded in an X post later shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.

“Federal law *is* the problem here; a federal statute—the NVRA—has been (wrongly) interpreted by the courts to prohibit states from seeking proof of citizenship,” Lee wrote. “The SAVE Act would fix the problem. You can’t default to federalism when federal law is itself the problem.”

Hey, Senator Grassley.

Is it not lost on you that your next door neighbor — Minnesota —

allows for 1 registered MN voter to vouch for up to 8 persons without an ID?

Vouching opens the door for rampant fraud.

Why won’t you secure our elections? https://t.co/5CDBUexQfj

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) January 21, 2026

Lee continued to argue in more X posts that constitutional harm can occur not only when Congress overreaches, but also when it fails to step in where federal action is necessary, adding that only Congress is able to address the issue. (RELATED: Just Four Dems Vote To Keep Non-Citizens From Voting In US Elections)

“I agree with you that it is important to make sure that our country’s elections occur without fraud. As a senator, I have opposed partisan efforts in Washington, D.C. to federalize elections in order to undermine election integrity,” Grassley wrote.

In the letter, Grassley said he opposed the For the People Act, which passed the House in 2021, and the Freedom to Vote Act, the Senate’s revised version that ultimately failed. That bill would have allowed a bank statement or utility bill to serve as valid ID for federal elections.

Federal law *is* the problem here; a federal statute—the NVRA—has been (wrongly) interpreted by the courts to prohibit states from seeking proof of citizenship

The SAVE Act would fix the problem

You can’t default to federalism when federal law is itself the problem https://t.co/XwisF836fJ

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 21, 2026

Both pieces of legislation would have implemented automatic voter registration and expanded nationwide mail-in voting among other measures. (RELATED: ‘Totally Unnecessary’: James Carville Outraged By Bill To Keep Non-Citizens From Voting)

In response to Grassley saying he does not “oppose” the SAVE Act, Lee told the Daily Caller he is “grateful” for Grassley supports securing U.S. elections.

“I’m grateful that Senator Grassley supports secure elections and the sacred right of American citizens — and only American citizens — to vote in American elections. I look forward to working with him to get the SAVE Act passed in the Senate and on President Trump’s desk.”

The House approved the SAVE Act last year, but the Senate has not yet scheduled a vote, and it remains unclear whether the bill will pass the upper chamber.

Grassley’s office confirmed to the Caller that the letter to the constituent is authentic but did not provide a response when asked whether Grassley plans to publicly support the SAVE Act before publication.