A late-night television appearance turned political when Meryl Streep raised concerns about proposed voting legislation and its potential impact on women.
According to Fox News, while speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Oscar-winning actress used the closing moments of her interview to highlight what she believes could be unintended consequences of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act.
Host Stephen Colbert asked Streep if there was anything she wanted to add before wrapping up, prompting her to pivot to the issue.
“I hope that the Save America Act, if that passes, all the married women that have changed their names are going to have to go to the registrar and prove that they are who they are. In other words, to your voting registrar,” she said.
“This is what I understand. Otherwise, when you get to the voting booth in November, you might be disqualified because your name doesn’t, on your birth certificate, doesn’t match your name on the voting rolls. So, everybody has to get – and this is such a pain in the neck because you have to go but do it because, otherwise you’ll be turned away.”
She added, “And I think that women need to be heard, especially in this moment.”
The GOP-backed SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote, has sparked sharp disagreement in Washington. Democrats have strongly opposed the measure, arguing it could restrict access to the ballot.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly criticized the proposal, drawing historical comparisons during a February interview on CNN.
“Each state can have its own voter ID laws, and some do and some don’t. But, secondly, what they are proposing in this so-called SAVE Act is like Jim Crow 2.0. They make it so hard to get any kind of voter ID that more than 20 million legitimate people, mainly poorer people and people of color, will not be able to vote under this law. We will not let it pass in the Senate. We are fighting it tooth and nail,” Schumer said.
Republicans have pushed back forcefully against those claims.
Rep. Chip Roy dismissed the criticism, telling Fox News Digital that safeguards are already written into the bill.
“This is absolute nonsense, and we specifically allow for a provision to make sure that no one can possibly be left behind,” Roy said.
“If a woman tried to register to vote with different names on her birth certificate and driver’s license,” he added, “we literally put in the statute that all you have to do is sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that, ‘I am that person. This is my birth certificate… and this is my driver’s license that is reflecting my married name.’”
Beyond identification requirements, the legislation would also require states to verify citizenship status more aggressively, coordinate with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, and impose penalties for registering noncitizens.
