Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the SAVE Act’s voter ID and citizenship requirements would disenfranchise Americans and will not receive Democratic support in the Senate.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday denounced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing that the proposal would revive discriminatory practices and suppress lawful voters under the banner of election security.
Speaking on Morning Joe, Schumer responded to questions about renewed Republican efforts to advance the SAVE Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship and identification to vote in federal elections.
During the exchange, co-host Jonathan Lemire noted that proponents frame the bill as an election integrity measure and pointed to polling showing broad public support for voter ID requirements, including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats. Lemire also acknowledged that claims of widespread election fraud have not been substantiated.
Schumer rejected the premise, saying the bill’s impact would mirror historic efforts to block minority voters from the ballot.
“It’s Jim Crow 2.0, and I called it Jim Crow 2.0, and the right wing went nuts all over the Internet,” Schumer said. “That’s because they know it’s true.”
He said the legislation would disproportionately affect women, people of color, and others who may face challenges obtaining or matching documentation.
“For instance, if you change — you’re a woman who got married and changed your last name, you won’t be able to show ID and you’ll be discriminated against,” Schumer said. “If you can’t find a birth certificate, or a proper ID, you’ll be discriminated against. This is vicious and nasty.”
Schumer compared the proposal to historical practices in the American South that used documentation requirements and administrative barriers to prevent Black voters from participating in elections.
He said Democrats view the measure as fundamentally incompatible with voting rights protections and made clear that it has no path forward in the current Senate.
“I said to our Republican colleagues, it will not pass the Senate,” Schumer said. “You will not get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. We’re not reviving Jim Crow all over the country.”
Schumer also argued that public opinion would turn against the bill if voters understood its practical effects.
“When the American people hear what exactly it is doing and what its intent is doing, they’re going to be against it as well,” he said.
The SAVE Act has been promoted by Republicans as a safeguard to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections, while Democrats have countered that existing laws already prohibit noncitizen voting and that additional requirements risk disenfranchising eligible voters.
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