Trump's Voting Bill Surpasses 50 Senate Votes, Yet Democrats Stand Ready to Block

WASHINGTON — The SAVE America Act, which mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration and seeks to overhaul existing voting laws, has garnered over 50 votes in the Republican-led Senate.

With backing from President Donald Trump and a recent passage in the House, the bill now hinges on the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule, a significant hurdle before it can become law.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has committed to bringing the bill to a vote, yet he cautioned that there are “not even close” to enough votes to eliminate the filibuster, despite Trump's urging. If the filibuster remains, Democrats are poised to utilize every legislative tool at their disposal to thwart the bill.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the bill's primary sponsor, is advocating for Republicans to employ existing rules to compel Democrats into a “talking filibuster.” This strategy aims to exhaust opposing senators and push the legislation through. However, historical precedents suggest this tactic is fraught with challenges and often leads to failure.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, facing a competitive re-election this fall, became the pivotal 50th Republican supporter of the legislation, a fact that Lee celebrated last week.

“I support the version of the SAVE America Act that recently passed the House,” Collins stated. “The law is clear that in this country, only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. Additionally, requiring ID at polling places—similar to what is needed for boarding an airplane or checking into a hotel—is a straightforward reform that enhances election security and boosts public confidence in electoral outcomes.”

Collins noted that modifications to the bill alleviated her previous concerns by adjusting the proof-of-citizenship requirement to apply only during voter registration rather than at the ballot box.

If a simple majority were sufficient, Collins’ support could tip the scales. Vice President JD Vance could cast a tie-breaking vote, sending the bill to Trump for enactment. However, Collins firmly opposes dismantling the filibuster for this purpose.

“I oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster,” she emphasized. “The filibuster serves as a crucial safeguard for minority party rights and necessitates bipartisan cooperation for the nation’s benefit.”

Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, yet some members remain hesitant about endorsing the measure. Notably, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have refrained from supporting it. Murkowski criticized it as an example of “one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington,” while McConnell has historically advocated for state autonomy in election management.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., condemned the bill as “Jim Crow 2.0,” asserting it would disenfranchise Americans lacking easy access to identification documents.

“They make it so hard to obtain any form of voter ID that over 20 million legitimate voters—predominantly low-income individuals and people of color—will be unable to cast their ballots under this law,” Schumer declared on CNN. “We will not allow it to pass in the Senate. We are fighting it tooth and nail. This proposal exemplifies the political bias of the MAGA right.”

Schumer's remarks followed a Pew Research Center poll from last August indicating that 83% of American adults support requiring government-issued photo identification for voting.

The SAVE America Act not only mandates photo ID for voting but also requires individuals to present proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering. This stipulation extends to mail-in voters, who must include a copy of their photo ID with their ballots.

Thune has indicated that Senate Republicans will engage in a “robust” discussion regarding next steps for the SAVE America Act while cautioning that pursuing a “talking filibuster” would consume significant floor time and demand extensive effort and collaboration—without any assurance of success.

Trump has consistently advocated for the bill's passage, with Lee framing it as a critical juncture for the nation.

“This is high-stakes legislation,” he asserted on social media. “Pass it and we save the republic. Don’t pass it and we roll the dice.”