Trump urges Congress to SAVE America
Images: Punchbowl News | AFP
In a meeting of House Republicans in Florida this week, President Trump once again warned lawmakers that he won’t sign any bills—outside of DHS funding—until Congress approves a new voter ID measure called the SAVE America Act.
The Trump-backed bill (formerly the Save Act) passed the House last month, but the Senate has thus far avoided taking it up for a vote.
What’s in the bill?
As it’s currently written, the SAVE America Act would require voters to provide proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
- Trump says he wants to add other provisions to the measure, including voter ID requirements and a ban on mail-in ballots (with certain exceptions).
- He’s also pushed for adding provisions unrelated to voting, including laws around trans women’s participation in sports and gender-affirming care for trans youth,
Trump and other Republican lawmakers argue these measures are necessary to protect the security of US elections, eliminate opportunities for non-citizens to vote, and restore faith in US election results.
But…There’s a major roadblock standing in the way of the Trump-backed measure: the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster, a threshold which the 53 Republican senators are unable to overcome without Democratic support.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) yesterday rejected Trump’s call to alter the filibuster rules or hold a “talking filibuster” so that only 51 votes would be needed to pass the SAVE America Act.
Democrats are united in opposition
Critics of the SAVE America Act, including Democratic lawmakers and voting rights groups, argue there are better ways to verify citizenship that put the responsibility on the government, rather than creating new barriers for eligible voters.
- They point to research that estimates up to 9% of eligible US citizens don’t have easy access to documents proving citizenship.
- Critics also note that US citizenship is already a requirement to vote, with instances of noncitizen voting being very rare.
Looking ahead… Senate Majority Leader Thune told reporters yesterday that he plans to introduce the Save America Act in the chamber next week.
📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support or oppose the new version of the SAVE America Act?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that the SAVE America Act represents nothing less than solutions to phantom problems, and an attempt by Trump and Republicans to suppress voter turnout among poor voters and voters of color (who are mainly Democrats) ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Others contend that voting by noncitizens is a virtually nonexistent problem in the US, and the SAVE Act would not only inconvenience many legitimate voters, but also render others ineligible to vote—disproportionately affecting Democrats, which is Trump’s ultimate goal.
- “Safeguarding our right to vote? The SAVE Act does the opposite.” –San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board
- “Delete the SAVE Act” –Albany Times-Union Editorial Board
- “The so-called SAVE America Act does anything but” –Mario Nicolais, Colorado Sun
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that some will try to dismiss the number of noncitizen voters in US elections as small—but even one single noncitizen voting is too many, since even a small margin can decide a race, so Congress should act to ensure no noncitizens ever vote.
- Others contend that the SAVE America Act should be voted down for two reasons: the Constitution largely leaves it to the states to determine election requirements, and the bill as written would disenfranchise many voters.
- “Noncitizen voting threatens election integrity and national security” –Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ)
- “I support voter ID but oppose the SAVE America Act” –Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
- “Why we’re not falling for Democrats’ voter-ID hysteria” –Libby Emmons, NY Post
Share this!
Recent Discussion stories
Discussion
| March 9, 2026Iran war enters second week, as US seeks “unconditional surrender”
Israeli and US forces expanded their bombardment of Iran over the weekend, while Tehran continued to fire missiles at targets across the Middle East, as the war in the region entered its second week.
Discussion
| March 6, 2026Incumbent lawmakers could be in trouble this midterm season
The 2026 midterm season officially kicked off this week with primary elections in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas.
Discussion
| March 4, 2026US-Iran conflict continues to widen
The conflict in the Middle East escalated further yesterday, as Israel stepped up airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers and other sites, while Iranian attacks threatened to shut air travel and oil shipping in the nearby Strait of Hormuz.
You've made it this far...
Let's make our relationship official, no 💍 or elaborate proposal required. Learn and stay entertained, for free.👇
All of our news is 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime; the quiz takes ~10 seconds to complete