Overview
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says House Republicans cannot attach voter ID legislation to the Trump backed government funding deal without killing it in the Senate. He warned that if Republicans add the updated SAVE Act to the package, the bill would be “dead on arrival” and could trigger a longer shutdown.
House Republicans are trying to secure a win in the spending fight. This comes even after President Donald Trump helped negotiate a temporary funding agreement with Schumer and Senate Democrats. The House GOP wants the five bill funding plan to include their revised voter eligibility proposal, even though the current package already removed the Department of Homeland Security funding bill and replaced it with a two week extension.
What Republicans Want Added to the Funding Deal
House Republicans are pushing to include the updated Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, now being called the SAVE America Act.
The proposal would:
- Require photo ID to vote
- Require proof of citizenship in person when registering
- Remove non citizens from voter rolls
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is leading the effort to attach the bill to the shutdown funding package.
Schumer Calls the SAVE Act a “Poison Pill”
Schumer strongly rejected the idea. He argued the bill resembles Jim Crow era policies and would suppress voting rather than strengthen election security.
Schumer said the SAVE Act would not pass the Senate. He also warned it would ruin any funding deal it is linked to. According to him, adding it could force another long government shutdown.
GOP Response: Claims of Political Attacks
Rep. Luna pushed back on Schumer’s remarks on social media. She argued that calling voter ID laws racist is unfair, especially for minority voters who support ID requirements.
Some House conservatives also say election security should be non negotiable. Rep. Eric Burlison said no spending deal should leave the House without the SAVE Act included.
Why the Bill Faces a Senate Wall
Even if the House passes the funding deal with the SAVE Act included, it would still face major obstacles in the Senate.
To pass, the bill would likely need at least 60 votes. With Senate Democrats opposing the measure, reaching that number is highly unlikely.
If the House changes the package, it would also have to go back to the Senate again. That could lead to repeated back and forth votes, delaying what was expected to be a short shutdown fix.
House Vote Could Get More Difficult Too
Adding the voter ID measure could also reduce support from House Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson may need Democratic votes because Republicans only hold a narrow majority and internal disagreements remain strong.
That means the SAVE Act addition could create problems in both chambers at the same time.
