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Thune: Republicans will use SAVE Act in midterms if Democrats don’t get ‘on board’
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says Republicans will attack Democrats in the fall elections for failing to enact the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act if they don’t “get on board” with the voting reform bill, which is now on the Senate floor. Thune says the legislation, which would require documented proof of citizenship, such as passports and birth certificates, when registering to vote is a popular and straightforward safeguard against election fraud. “I think that’s a fairly simple position and one Democrats ought to eventually get on board with. But if we don’t … obviously, it’s an issue we will be able to use, I think, in the fall elections,” Thune told Fox News anchor Bret Baier in an interview. Thune dismissed Baier’s question whether the Senate debate on the SAVE America Act, which also would require voters to present ID when casting ballots, is more about political messaging than actually getting a result. “It’s legislating. I mean, actually, if you look at the substance of the policy, this is about safe and secure elections in this country and making sure we have an election process that is actually the right people— not just the illegals who are in this country — have an opportunity to vote,” Thune said. But getting eight or more Democratic votes to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to end a Democratic filibuster would be a difficult task. Zero Democrats voted on a motion to proceed to the bill Tuesday, and one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), voted against it. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted to proceed to the bill as a courtesy to Thune, but he has told colleagues privately he doesn’t support the legislation. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring at the end of the year, has also expressed opposition to the measure and says provisions to restrict mail-in voting need more work. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has pledged that Democrats will make an all-out push to defeat the legislation on the Senate floor. “Nothing is more important than defeating this dagger to the heart of our democracy,” Schumer said during a press call Sunday. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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