BY MIRABEL ODETA
The Senate will hold a weekend session as lawmakers debate the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require citizenship verification and photo identification in federal elections.
President Donald Trump, who strongly supports the SAVE America Act, has urged lawmakers to add provisions banning men from competing in women’s sports, prohibiting gender-altering surgery for minors, and restricting mail-in voting.
The legislation passed the House on Feb. 11, where it was supported by Republicans and opposed by nearly all Democrats. The Senate began debate on March 17, less than two weeks before a scheduled recess.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has expressed opposition to what some describe as a standing filibuster, citing concerns among several Republican senators about an approach that could potentially exhaust a filibuster of the SAVE America Act.
Senate Republicans continue debating the bill despite facing the 60-vote filibuster threshold, a major hurdle given the current balance of power in the chamber.
As debate began, Thune told reporters, “How it ends remains to be seen.”
“There will be a point at which it will end, and there will be a series of votes that come with that,” he said.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters on March 20 that he would welcome the Senate staying in session to debate the Iran war, but not because of the SAVE America Act, which he described as legislation that “everybody knows is not going to pass.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the bill’s lead sponsor, reaffirmed his support for the measure.
“The SAVE America Act will pass. The Senate must keep debating it until that happens,” he wrote on X on March 20.
On Truth Social, Trump reiterated his backing of the legislation ahead of the Senate’s weekend work.
“The SAVE America Act must be passed by the Senate. There is nothing more important for the U.S.A.,” he wrote.
Lawmakers have submitted several amendments to the bill, including proposals aimed at incorporating Trump’s suggested changes.
An amendment from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) that would ban men from competing in women’s sports is expected to face a vote on March 21.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also scheduled a procedural vote related to funding the Transportation Security Administration, though several steps remain before it could reach the Senate floor.
Meanwhile, Thune has filed for cloture on the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) for Homeland Security secretary, setting up a Senate vote scheduled for March 22.
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