Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned that the Save America Act is impossible to implement before the November midterm elections, citing insufficient time and funding even if Senate Republicans could find the votes to pass the legislation.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America Act) would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship—such as a passport or birth certificate—when registering to vote, and to present a photo ID when casting a ballot. The bill has become President Trump’s top legislative priority, but faces significant Senate opposition.
“You know, I have people telling me I need to implement the SAVE Act immediately in North Carolina, in a state that has voter ID,” Tillis told CNN’s Jake Tapper on June 28. “Why are we doing more things that undermine our confidence in elections rather than getting the strong message out that will win for Republicans this year?”
Tillis, who co-sponsored an earlier version of the bill, drew on his own experience implementing voter ID as Speaker of the North Carolina House. “When we implemented voter ID in North Carolina, it took a year to get everything in place with adequate funding,” he said in an interview with the News & Observer.
The current SAVE America Act does not include direct funding allocations to states for implementation. Tillis illustrated the practical barriers: “Let’s assume you only allow early voting in the month of October. Then do you honestly believe that we can have this thing up in 50 states? There’s no funding. There’s no specific implementation instructions.” He added that any rushed rollout would “ironically undermine the confidence” in elections.
By early July, Tillis had escalated his position. “Unless they do the work to get to the 60 votes, they know it’s dead, and so all this is theater,” he told the News & Observer on July 2. Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously indicated there were not the votes to pass the bill, even with Republican control.
The opposition from Tillis and other Senate Republicans, including Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, reflects broader fractures within the GOP over the bill. The House passed the SAVE America Act in February 2026 on a near-party-line vote of 218-213, but Senate Democrats have unanimously opposed it, and at least four Republicans have voted against it in multiple attempts to advance the legislation.
Trump has applied intense pressure to force passage, at one point delaying his signature on a bipartisan housing bill and demanding senators prioritize the voting measure. His administration has also called for eliminating the Senate filibuster or attaching the bill to must-pass legislation, neither of which has gained sufficient support.
Sources
- The Hill — Tillis’s statement that passing the SAVE America Act is an “impossible task” before midterms, with quotes on implementation timeline and costs
- Fox News — Tillis’s comments on lack of time and funding, details on the bill’s provisions and the absence of state implementation funding
- Congress.gov — Official bill text and provisions requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID
- News & Observer — Tillis’s detailed explanation of voter ID implementation experience in North Carolina and timeline requirements
