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By Andrew Stanton
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The SAVE Act faces steep odds in the Senate, where it would need support from at least seven Democrats after the House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The GOP-backed bill, which stands for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require Americans to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in an attempt to prevent undocumented immigrants from participating in elections. Critics, however, say the bill would establish new barriers to make it harder for legal citizens—including low-income voters, married women who changed their last name and rural voters—to register to vote.
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Every House Republican and a handful of House Democrats voted in support of the bill on Thursday. It must now pass the Senate to become law. Although Republicans control the Senate, any legislation must overcome the 60-vote filibuster to advance, dimming the prospects of the SAVE Act becoming law.
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What To Know
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a statement on Thursday that Democrats "will make sure this power grab does not pass the Senate," describing the bill as a Republican attempt to "disenfranchise millions of American citizens, seize control of our elections, and fan the flames of election skepticism and denialism."
Despite opposition from most Democratic voters, the following four centrist Democrats in the House voted for it: Representatives Ed Case of Hawaii, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Marie Glusenkamp Perez of Washington and Jared Golden of Maine.
It's unclear how many, if any, Senate Democrats will break from the party line to support the legislation, but if the bill is brought to a vote in the Senate, eyes will be on the handful of more moderate Democrats who have been willing to join Republicans on some key votes this year.
Two Democratic senators representing competitive states told Newsweek they will not be supporting the bill.
Jeanne of New Hampshire is voting against the bill, her office saidon Friday.
"Senator Shaheen opposes efforts that might make it more difficult for American citizens to vote and will carefully review any legislation that threatens this fundamental right," the statement reads. "Senator Shaheen thinks we should be making it easier for citizens to vote and not harder – and with that in mind, she intends to vote against the SAVE Act."
Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada also came out in opposition to the bill in a statement.
"There is no evidence of widespread election fraud anywhere in the country, and it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections," she said. "The SAVE Act simply makes it harder for eligible Nevada citizens to vote in a manner that is safe and secure. I trust Nevada to maintain accurate voter rolls and administer fair elections. I will not support this bill."
Senator Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, has not said how he plans to vote. A spokesperson for the senator told Newsweek that he does not comment on bills that are not scheduled for a vote in the Senate.
Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been willing to break ranks on some issues, hasn't said how he plans to vote on the bill.
Democratic Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Jacky Rosen of Nevada have also not said where they stand on the bill.
Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, told Fox News' Martha MacCallum she would not vote for the SAVE Act because it requires Americans to show either a passport or birth certificate rather than a driver's license to register to vote.
"Well, 60 percent of Michiganders don't have a passport, and for 80 percent of women in this country who are married, they've changed their name from their birth certificates," Slotkin said. "It makes it harder to have women vote. It makes it harder to if you don't have a passport."
She added that she supports preventing non-citizens from voting and indicated she could consider voting for similar legislation if it allowed Americans to show their driver's licenses.
Michigan's other Democratic senator, Gary Peters, hasn't commented on the bill.
Other swing-state Democrats have opposed the bill. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia described it as a "nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters."
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, that he would vote against the bill.
What People Are Saying
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, during a press conference on Tuesday: "Polling shows that nearly 90 percent of the American people believe that proof of citizenship should be required to vote. There are few issues in American politics that enjoy that level of bipartisan support. This should pass with a massive bipartisan margin."
Democratic Representative Jared Golden of Maine, in a statement: "The right to vote in American elections should be exclusive to American citizens. Requiring people to prove citizenship when registering to vote is a simple way to ensure that's happening across the country."
Journalist Molly Jong-Fast, on X: "Senate Democrats must prevent the passage of the 'save' act. It will make it harder for women to vote."
What Happens Next
It's unclear whether the SAVE Act will be brought to a vote and whether any Democrats plan on voting for it. Given the few defections in the House, it would be a challenge to win over seven Democrats in the Senate.
Update 4/11/25, 4:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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