Updated on: March 17, 2026 / 11:31 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — The Senate voted Tuesday to launch an extended floor debate over the SAVE America Act, an elections bill President Trump has been pushing Republicans to approve despite slim odds of passage in the upper chamber.
Conservatives have long backed the measure, which would require proof of citizenship to register and a photo ID to vote. Trump escalated pressure last week by threatening to withhold his signature from many other bills until the SAVE America Act is passed, and by urging Republicans to find ways around the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said the GOP lacks the votes to overcome the filibuster, and has instead pledged “a full and robust debate” this week. The Senate advanced consideration of the bill Tuesday in a 51-48 vote; Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined all Democrats in opposing the procedural move.
Tuesday’s vote opened what is expected to be a lengthy series of floor debates and amendment fights. Thune is allowing senators unrestricted time to discuss the measure rather than moving quickly to cut off debate. Lawmakers spoke for hours Tuesday afternoon before adjourning for the night.
With 53 Republicans in the Senate, the GOP needs Democratic support to reach 60 votes to advance most legislation. GOP leaders have opted against mounting a “talking” filibuster — a tactic that would stall the floor for days or weeks and requires near-unity from the minority. As a result, the SAVE America Act is unlikely to clear the chamber.
Still, the exercise forces Democrats to vote on potentially politically awkward amendments while giving conservatives ample time to make their case for a bill Trump has prioritized above other items.
“The votes aren’t there to do a talking filibuster. And so what we are doing is we are having a fulsome debate on the floor of the United States Senate,” Thune told reporters Tuesday morning. “We’ll have it up, everybody will have their say. At some point we’ll have votes, and we’ll see where the votes are.”
Republicans describe the bill as commonsense, likening its requirements to getting a library card. Critics and experts warn it could disenfranchise millions who lack certain documents — such as passports or birth certificates — or who have changed their names. Noncitizen voting in federal elections is illegal and rare, but polls show broad public support for voter ID and proof of citizenship: a Gallup survey ahead of the 2024 election found more than eight in 10 Americans favored photo ID and requiring proof of citizenship for first-time registrants.
Trump has told House Republicans that passing the SAVE America Act would “guarantee” Republican victories in November, alleging Democrats oppose it because “they want to cheat.” He warned that without the law, Democrats could prevail for decades. Alongside the bill, the president has pressed for unrelated measures, including a ban on all mail-in ballots and restrictions on transgender athletes and gender-affirming care for minors.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the legislation a “naked attempt to rig our elections,” saying it would make voting harder while making it easier to steal elections. Schumer acknowledged Democrats support voter ID in principle but argued the SAVE Act goes far beyond that, aiming to purge voter rolls on a massive scale so that many people would be removed before they ever had the chance to present ID at the polls.
The Biden administration and federal officials have sought comprehensive voter registration lists from states; the Brennan Center for Justice says at least a dozen states have turned over or plan to turn over their rolls, and the Justice Department has sued several states that refused.
Under the SAVE America Act, states would have to take steps to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered, including creating programs to identify registrants who are not citizens. The bill’s voter ID provision would require voters to present identification that indicates citizenship; if the ID doesn’t, voters would need separate proof of citizenship unless a state has submitted and certified its voter roll to the federal government as verified.
How Democrats will navigate the lengthy floor debate is unclear. Schumer said Monday that no Democrats will back the measure and vowed to oppose Republican efforts to “burn time on this legislation here on the floor.” Thune said Republicans expect “continued, full-throated opposition to voter ID and the SAVE America Act from Senate Democrats,” and added that Republicans are eager for the debate.