The SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote nationwide, has secured support from 50 senators, setting up a showdown over election integrity in the upper chamber.
The legislation, endorsed by President Donald Trump, passed the House last week. But in the Senate, it faces the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster — meaning Democrats can block it unless Republicans find additional support.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has pledged to bring the bill to the floor but acknowledged that there are “not even close” to enough votes to eliminate the filibuster, despite Trump’s calls to scrap the rule.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the bill’s chief sponsor, has floated the idea of forcing Democrats into a “talking filibuster,” requiring them to hold the floor to delay the measure.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, last weekend became the 50th Republican to back the bill after revisions addressed her concerns.
“The law is clear that in this country, only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results,” Collins said in a statement Saturday.
The SAVE America Act would require individuals to present documentary proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote. It also mandates photo identification for voting, including for mail-in ballots, which would require a copy of an ID.
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate and would need significant Democrat support to advance the measure, in part because not all Republicans have signed on.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have not endorsed the bill. Murkowski criticized what she called “one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington.”
Lee framed the effort in stark terms: “This is high-stakes legislation. Pass it and we save the republic. Don’t pass it and we roll the dice.”
Trump has repeatedly urged lawmakers to pass the legislation and said last week that voter ID would be in place for November’s midterms with or without Congress.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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