Supporters of Save Act bill kick off nationwide bus tour in Garden Grove

A three-week bus tour in support of the Save Act, a bill that would require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, rolled out from Garden Grove on Monday, Aug. 18.

The rally was led by Tea Party Patriots Action, a nonprofit organization that says its mission is to uphold the Constitution and provide Americans with resources to be engaged citizens. About 20 people were there to see the bus tour launch, and several spoke in favor of the proposed law, including Jenny Beth Martin, the honorary chair of the conservative Tea Party Patriots Action.

“Republicans from around the entire country are working very hard to pass things into law, and it just takes a long time. Our system, as frustrating as it is, is designed to take a long time to make change,” to guard the system against tyranny, Martin told the gathered audience.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s a feature, and we just keep working it and expressing ourselves and doing things like getting people to sign our petitions and make our voices heard,” she added, “and we will make a difference — because of you.”

The bus tour, which kicked off outside the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove on Monday, aims to rally support for the Save Act with a petition urging Congress to attach the bill to “must-pass legislation” when members reconvene in September. The bill would require proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers, in order to register to vote.

Critics of the proposed law say that it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote, and call the Save Act a “deceptive voter suppression bill.” If passed, the bill would disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens, making it harder for Californians to register and vote in future elections, argued Brett Edkins, managing director of public policy for Stand Up America, a progressive grassroots advocacy organization.

“The Save Act is part of Donald Trump’s scheme to rig the 2026 midterm elections by making it harder for Americans to exercise the right to vote, especially women,” said Edkins, who worries the bill could make it difficult for women to vote if their legal married name doesn’t match their birth certificate.

Additional speakers at Monday’s kick-off rally included podcaster Kira Davis, Redlands Area Leader for the California Voter Initiative John Berry and co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project Chris Chmielenski, who said immigration policy hasn’t changed since the 1986 Amnesty Bill.

“I’m pleading with these Republicans and so many others that are out there to join us and the millions of Americans — the majority of American voters — who support putting an end to non-citizen voting, passing the Save Act and ensuring that no U.S. citizen ever has their vote taken away or nullified by a non-citizen whose voting in our election,” Chmielenski said.

The bus was expected to stop by Redlands Monday before holding events in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wisconsin before reaching Washington, D.C.

There, Martin said the group will be presenting the petition results to the Senate, which is currently on summer recess.