What is the SAVE America Act? What to know about the bill Trump is pushing

Politics What is the SAVE America Act? Here's what to know about the elections bill Trump is pushing By Kaia Hubbard, Kaia Hubbard Politics Reporter Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kaia Hubbard, Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn Updated on: March 11, 2026 / 9:52 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — President Trump and his allies are pushing Senate Republicans to pass an elections-related bill known as the SAVE America Act, which Democrats warn could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.Formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, the bill would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections, and implement photo ID requirements for voting.Though the legislation is aimed at preventing noncitizens from casting ballots, some experts have argued that the bill would have implications for millions of Americans who don't have access to certain documents, like a passport or their birth certificate, or who have changed their names. Republicans in Congress have tried to get iterations of the measure passed through both chambers for years. The House has passed earlier versions of the legislation twice, and approved the latest version in February. But the effort hasn't gone anywhere in the Senate, where a 60-vote threshold for advancing most legislation makes passing partisan bills much more difficult.The president and conservative lawmakers have put relentless pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use a time-consuming maneuver to circumvent the 60-vote threshold. Mr. Trump has threatened not to sign most other bills until the SAVE America Act is passed.Thune has insisted that the maneuver, known as the talking filibus...