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By Andrew Stanton
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President Donald Trump issued a warning on Tuesday to any members of Congress who are planning to vote against the SAVE Act, a bill that would change voting laws for Americans.
"Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. If they do, each one of these points, separately, will be used against the user in his/her political campaign for office - A guaranteed loss!" Trump wrote to Truth Social.
He described it as one "of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress, and America itself."
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"NO MORE RIGGED ELECTIONS! Voter I.D., Proof of Citizenship, No Rigged Mail-In Voting (We are the only Country in the World that allows this!), No Men in Women’s Sports, No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our Children. 90% to 99% ISSUES ALL!" the president wrote.
The SAVE Act passed the House of Representatives earlier in March and now heads to the Senate, where it faces difficult odds due to the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance any legislation. A procedural vote on the bill could be held as early as Tuesday. If passed, the bill would change voter registration standards across the country.
What Is the SAVE Act?
The SAVE Act, also known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship when applying to register for federal elections in an attempt to prevent undocumented immigrants from participating in them.
It would prohibit states from accepting or processing a federal voter registration application unless the applicant provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of registration.
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For mail registrants, applicants who used the federal mail form would be required to present that proof in person at an election office by the applicable deadline—or at the polling place in jurisdictions that allow same-day registration, with states required to notify applicants of the requirement.
It would also require states to ensure only U.S. citizens remain on the voter rolls.
Why Are Democrats Against the SAVE Act?
Critics 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.
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) said that while only citizens can legally vote in federal elections and confirmed instances of noncitizen voting are rare, the bill’s front-end documentation mandate could create hurdles for eligible voters and complicate implementation for election officials.
"Do not let the bill’s name fool you, the SAVE America Act would not protect our elections," Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, wrote in a statement. "Instead, it would make it more difficult for millions of Americans to vote by upending decades of successfully administered and secure elections with untested, dangerous limitations on voter registration. I will vote no on this attack on our sacred right to vote."
Is the SAVE Act Popular?
Polling indicates that parts of the bill are popular.
A survey from the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris found that 85 percent of voters believe only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote and that 71 percent support the bill. Seventy-five percent support requiring voters to show proof of citizenship, 81 percent support voter ID and 80 percent support removing noncitizens from voter rolls.
Sixty-eight percent of voters also support early voting.
The poll surveyed 1,999 registered voters on February 25-26, 2026.
A recent YouGov poll found that 59 percent of Americans support requiring people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote, while only 29 percent were in opposition. It surveyed 1,595 adults from March 13-16, 2026.
When Will the Senate Vote on the SAVE Act?
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has said the bill will be brought to the Senate floor this week for debate. But it will face tough odds in the Senate because of the 60-vote filibuster. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, so the bill would require some Democratic support to advance.
Some Republicans have floated changing the filibuster to advance the legislation, but it’s not clear that would have enough support.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has come out against the SAVE Act.
"Once again, I do not support these efforts," she wrote to X in February. "Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the 'times, places, and manner' of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska."
What People Are Saying
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week during a speech on the Senate floor: "It is a package of commonsense policies—the kind of commonsense policies that should get an automatic ‘yes’ vote from literally every member of this body. At the core of the SAVE America Act is the requirement that individuals provide proof of citizenship to register to vote—and then show an ID when they go to the polls."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said during a speech on the Senate floor: "Not a single Democrat will support the SAVE Act. It is a radical bill. And if Republicans try to burn time on this legislation here on the floor, we will oppose them for as long as it takes. Donald Trump and Senate Republicans know their numbers are sinking badly. They know the American people are souring on their agenda. They know that with each passing day, their prospects for November get worse."
Update 3/17/2026 10:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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