The SAVE America Act remains stalled in the Senate as President Trump escalates pressure on GOP lawmakers to pass the voting restrictions bill, even as Republican leaders privately acknowledge the measure lacks sufficient support to advance.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly told Trump there aren’t enough votes to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, according to NBC News reporting from July 2, 2026. Despite this clear message, Trump has intensified his push, refusing to sign a bipartisan housing bill as an act of protest over the Senate’s inaction on the voting measure.
Trump canceled the signing ceremony for the housing bill on July 10, declaring it “an act of protest” against the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act. “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to The Washington Post.
What the Bill Would Do
The SAVE America Act would require people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and show photo identification at the polls. Trump’s preferred version of the bill goes further, including provisions to significantly curtail mail-in voting, bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, and prohibit transgender surgery for minors.
The House passed the measure by a vote of 218-213, but Senate passage has proven far more difficult. When Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., offered Trump’s full version as an amendment to a budget reconciliation bill, four Republican senators voted against it: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, according to reporting from The Hill on June 26, 2026.
Republican Resistance and Trump’s Leverage
At a contentious June 26 meeting with Senate Republicans, Trump told GOP senators in blunt terms to find a way to pass the SAVE America Act. “There was no pitch, it was just, ‘You should do it,'” according to a source familiar with the meeting cited by The Hill. But Trump’s pressure appears to have backfired with the holdout senators. “If the goal was to change hearts and minds, that did not work. If anything, it was probably a negative effect,” the source added.
Senate Republicans have explored multiple pathways to advance the bill, including attempting to include it in a budget reconciliation package that could pass with a simple majority. However, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled the measure did not comply with the Byrd Rule, which governs what legislation can be included in reconciliation bills. Trump has repeatedly called for Thune to fire the parliamentarian.
The stalled vote comes as Republicans express concern that Trump may use the bill’s failure as a pretext to blame GOP lawmakers if the party loses seats in the 2026 midterm elections. “Resentment is building in Republican circles over President Donald Trump’s quixotic effort to pass a bill that would rewrite the nation’s election laws,” NBC News reported on July 2, 2026. One GOP senator told NBC News: “He’s a bully … and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
Sources
- The Washington Post — Trump’s cancellation of housing bill signing as protest over SAVE America Act, July 10, 2026
- NBC News — Senate Majority Leader Thune’s repeated statements about insufficient votes, Republican concerns about Trump using bill’s failure against them, July 2, 2026
- The Hill — Details of June 26 Trump meeting with Senate Republicans, four GOP senators’ votes against the bill, Republican scrambling for strategy
