Trump says he won't sign anything into law until SAVE America Act is passed

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he won't sign anything into law until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act that would implement stronger voter identification laws and proof-of-citizenship requirements nationwide.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said he would not enact any laws until the flagship election bill is passed, marking the president's most serious threat yet to his own agenda. If Trump upholds his stance, it could delay the passage of key legislation, such as a spending bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, which has been closed for more than three weeks.

"It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE," Trump wrote. "MUST SHOW VOTER I.D. & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS EXCEPT FOR MILITARY — ILLNESS, DISABILITY, TRAVEL."

The reality of Trump's wishes may be easier said than done.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, the main sponsor of the SAVE America Act, previously told the Deseret News that DHS funding would likely need to get done before turning to the election integrity legislation. That's because Lee wants to revive an arcane Senate rule known as the talking filibuster to circumvent Democratic opposition — a strategy that could take weeks of debate and would delay the passage of other legislation.

Still, Lee amplified Trump's latest comments on social media as part of his weekslong pressure campaign to consider the bill. The SAVE America Act, in various forms, has already passed the House. However, it has never gotten a vote in the Senate due to Democratic opposition.

Under Senate rules, most legislation is subject to what is known as the filibuster. Those Senate requirements were updated in 1917 to allow for an alternative route known as invoking cloture, which would allow senators to vote on ending debate so long as they had significant support — which requires 60 votes under current rules.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded to Trump's post on Sunday, making clear Democrats would not provide any of the votes needed, raising the prospect that all legislative work in the Senate could be stalled.

"If Trump is saying he won't sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate," Schumer wrote in a post on X. "Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances."

Even if Senate Republican leaders agree to use the talking filibuster — something they have so far not committed to — there are still obstacles ahead for Lee. In the event of a talking filibuster, Democrats can bring up an unlimited number of amendments that would require at least 51 Republican senators to agree to reject.

And Republicans do not have that support as of now, with at least three Republicans — Utah Sen. John Curtis included — who have said they would not back any changes to filibuster rules.

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