WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans forged ahead with President Trump’s premier legislation to tighten voter eligibility for federal elections — despite defections from some in their party and united opposition from Democrats.
A motion to advance the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act passed in a 51-48 vote on Tuesday afternoon. All Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), voted against a motion to debate the bill that would require photo ID when casting ballots and proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
While Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) move to open debate on the measure succeeded, it’s unclear how long speeches and deliberations will last as its support remains beneath the 60-vote threshold needed for final passage.
There are also provisions in the act to force states to kick noncitizens off of voting rolls, which Democrats have claimed could potentially disenfranchise registered voters who are citizens.
Republicans have countered that noncitizens have already been caught casting ballots in some elections — and noted how several in recent years have been decided by narrow margins.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, often the first Democrat to break ranks with his party, voted almost immediately against the GOP majority-backed bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a floor speech ahead of the vote, “If MAGA Republicans want to bog down the Senate over a debate on voter suppression, Democrats are ready. We’re ready to be here all day, all night, as long as it takes to ensure the powers of voter suppression did not win the day.”
But even with a “no” vote from Murkowski, affirmative votes from Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and 50 other Republicans were enough to clear the way for the upper chamber to begin debate on amendments.
All 47 Democrats voted against the legislation.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who has publicly opposed the bill, did not vote.
“We don’t know that we don’t have 60 votes yet,” Thune said at a press conference. “I think it’s an important debate to have. How it ends remains to be seen.”
The House already passed the provisions last month in a 218-213 vote by tucking them into a previously-approved Senate bill that hadn’t included all the voting rule changes.
Trump called on congressional Republicans last week to shelve all other legislative priorities until they could send the bill to his desk, pushing back key votes on the government’s foreign spying powers and funding for the beleaguered Department of Homeland Security.
The president has also accused Democrats of opposing the voter ID law because they “want to cheat” — and could threaten the Republican majority in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
“They’re doing everything possible because they know if we get this, they probably won’t win an election for 50 years,” Trump told House Republicans during their annual retreat at his Doral, Fla., golf resort. “Maybe longer.”
He later pledged to “not sign other Bills until this is passed.”
A Harvard-Harris survey in February found that 85% of voters support only American citizens being able to cast ballots in elections — and 71% of the voters also back the SAVE America Act.
By party affiliation, 91% of Republicans, 69% of independents and 50% of Democrats favor the bill.
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