politics
President Trump says Republicans will lose future elections without SAVE Act
President Trump stated that Republicans will not win another election unless Congress passes the SAVE Act, which would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote. The legislation would also restrict mail-in voting and require states to verify voter rolls.
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The bill would require voters to present photo identification and proof of citizenship, and would limit mail-in voting. The president has repeatedly said the 2020 election was stolen, though he has not presented evidence to support that claim. His former attorney general, Bill Barr, told him the Department of Justice found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the outcome.
Current legislative status The House passed a version of the SAVE Act in February. The measure requires photo identification at polls, which polls show receives about 80 percent public support, and proof of citizenship for voter registration, which receives about 66 percent support.
The bill also directs states to check voter rolls regularly and submit them to the federal government. Eight states and the District of Columbia currently conduct all elections by mail; Utah is the only Republican-led state among them.
Political context Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress and the White House. Democrats hold unified control of the governorship and legislature in 16 states, while 23 states have Republican control of both and 11 states have divided government.
The Senate lacks the votes to overcome a filibuster on the legislation. Even if the filibuster were removed, a future Democratic majority could repeal the measure. Merrill Matthews, Texas state chair of Our Republican Legacy, wrote that Republicans would be more likely to retain congressional majorities by addressing inflation and economic growth than by focusing on voter fraud concerns.
