Voters mark their primary ballots at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Ark., on March 3, 2026. (Photo by John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators debated Wednesday whether the federal government should change the way Americans register to vote and cast ballots, with Republicans maintaining changes necessary to secure elections and Democrats arguing the up-to-date law would add unnecessary hurdles.
Tensions on the issue were on full display when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-Y., said GOP lawmakers characterizing the bill as a plain voter ID requirement was “bullshit,” shortly before Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee said it would be a “suicidal move” for his party’s leaders to fail to find a “suicidal move.”
The legislationcalled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act, is unlikely to become law without the bipartisan support of at least 60 senators, who would be needed to advance it through a procedural vote.
Democrats are not expected to support Republicans with that, especially after Schumer called the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0” and “evil” during a morning news conference with voting rights advocates.
Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock said at the event that GOP lawmakers are acting out of fear they will lose control of Congress in the wake of November midterm electionsdue to President Donald Trump’s actions during his second term.
“The American people were fed up with him and his policies,” Warnock said. “He ran as someone who was going to cut costs, who was going to stay out of endless wars in the Middle East, and he failed. But instead of changing his policies, he’s trying to reshape the electorate.”
Problems with missing a birth certificate
New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján said the bill, if signed into law, would make it more challenging for anyone who doesn’t have access to a birth certificate or passport to prove U.S. citizenship when trying to register to vote.
“What about my Indian brothers and sisters?” he said. “All of my First Nations brothers and sisters that I am honored to represent in New Mexico, who may have been born in their home in a generation with other family members. They did not have a birth certificate.”
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim said GOP lawmakers trying to change the election-year voting process are creating a pattern when they, in conjunction with several Republican state legislatures, redraw U.S. House maps to benefit their candidates.
“We see that the point is for politicians to choose voters, rather than voters choosing politicians,” he said.
Several Democratic state legislatures responded to GOP redistricting efforts with: redrawing their maps also.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said it’s unacceptable that Republicans want every state in the country to submit a list of registered voters to the Department of Homeland Security for review of the database, which he says is flawed.
“They’re trying to deceive America. They’re saying, ‘Oh, it’s just a voter ID law.’ “Nonsense. This is not a voter ID bill,” Schumer said. “This is a law that will kick millions of Americans off the ballot.”
“Debate this for as long as necessary.”
Lee, R-Utah, said GOP leaders should not plan a procedural vote, which requires at least 60 senators to end debate on the bill, until they find a way to move on from that point.
“I think it would be self-defeating for us as Senate Republicans, and for Republicans in general, if we don’t put everything we have into this,” he said. “I think we need to debate this for as long as it takes to get there. And if we haven’t gotten there yet, we need to continue the debate.”
Lee maintained that a lengthy debate on the bill would give Republicans time to bring the opposition to their side.
“It will become so popular that I think many of our colleagues who are currently opposed to it will start to join it,” he said.
Every Democrat senator in the Senate, along with Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, voted against formally starting the debate on Tuesday. North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis did not vote.
Trump wants national restrictions on mail-in voting
The Senate debate on the draft bill, which will drag on in the coming days and perhaps even weeks, will not be constrained to the currently applicable legislation, which The House passed last month.
Trump has – the senators asked to introduce three changes which they will try to take into account through amendments.
Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said he plans to call for a ballot measure to implement statewide restrictions on mail-in voting rather than leave the issue to state governments.
“If you have a hardship due to disability, illness, travel, are a caregiver or have another hardship recognized by the state, you can vote by mail,” he said. “You have to ask for it. Then you can vote by mail.”
Schmitt said the separation would also cover soldiers.
Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn said she plans to introduce an amendment that could create a nationwide ban on gender-affirming surgery for transgender youth.
Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said she would push for an amendment to prevent transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
