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GOP links SAVE Act to Olive Garden's unlimited pasta deal

foodJul 22, 2026274,172

Republican leaders likened voter ID rules in the SAVE America Act to Olive Garden’s never-ending Pasta Pass during congressional messaging this week. In a Monday hearing Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said, “Heck, you even need to present a photo ID to utilize the Olive Garden Never-Ending Pasta Pass,” and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) added, “you wanna go to Olive Garden? You gotta show a picture ID.” Olive Garden required a photo ID when it reintroduced the Pasta Pass, a fact Republicans cite to argue SAVE Act ID rules are not onerous. The White House spokesman Abigail Jackson made a similar point last week on Newsmax, saying, “Olive Garden takes their Pasta Pass security more seriously than Democrats take election security.” Democrats pushed back, with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) saying, “It is not a lunch special. You have a constitutional right to vote; you don’t have a constitutional right to a breadstick or a bowl of pasta.” The SAVE America Act, which Democrats have blocked in the Senate, would set national limits on acceptable voter identification and require additional documents for verification; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the measure “nothing more than Jim Crow 2.0.” Currently 36 states require some form of identification at the polls while 14 do not, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Olive Garden comparison has become a focal talking point in debate over the bill.

Ron Filipkowski
@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

The latest ridiculous coordinated Republican talking point on the SAVE Act is all about Olive Garden.

194746d ago
Quoting this
@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze)104

About that...you need $100 per person for a 'pasta pass' from Olive Garden. That buys you unlimited food & unlimited visits in a 13 week window. The name on the pass has to match your ID to make sure you aren't sharing the pass with anyone else. It was a limited promotion that is already sold out.

jerome cylin3

This is the weirdest Republican order that went out that they had to do.

Minerva47874627.bsky.social3

Wow. The Republicans are really reaching, using the requirement to have some kind of photo ID to get a pasta pass from Olive Garden to support the requirement to have a passport or birth certificate to be allowed to vote. One of these things is not like the other.

Maj3

This just means the MAGA group chat Ashley St Clair revealed got their orders on what to push to the public. Side note, do they think MAGA voters eat at Olive Garden?

Wade Dolphin (yes, really)2

People with "common sense" don't repeat nonsense analogies. If Olive Garden makes it difficult for married women or people who don't drive to eat at their restaurant, they'll go out of business. Voting IS NOT an advertising promotion. It's a fundamental right.

The Northland Texan 🇺🇸 🇺🇦2

I don’t eat much Olive Garden these days, but I don’t ever recall having to show my ID to eat pasta?

rabid🦊wolf🌈2

Aug 2013, FDA’s traceback confirmed the salad mix behind cyclosporiasis outbreaks in Iowa & Nebraska was supplied by Taylor Farms’ Mexican subsidiary to Olive Garden & Red Lobster restaurants taylor farms also just donated bigly to the gop & trump in the mid of this outbreak. false positive my ass

Tyabann2

it's really fascinating how they obviously get marching orders

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