U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-Wyo., speaks next to Senate Republican Leader John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) during the Senate Republican Press Conference after the weekly policy lunch on February 10, 2026, at the Capitol in Washington, DC. February 10, 2026.
Kent Nishimura | Reuters
The Senate voted Tuesday afternoon to begin a multi-day debate over the SAVE America Act, a controversial voter ID bill backed by President Donald Trump.
“We’re not going to pass this bill. We’re going to fight it tooth and nail,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said Tuesday morning ahead of the vote. “We stand ready to be here all day, all night, or for days, nights, or even weeks, as necessary, to ensure that the SAVE Act meets its deserved death.”
The bill, passed by the House of Representatives in February, would require proof of citizenship to register and a photo ID to vote in elections. These provisions would go into effect immediately and could upend the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of the House and Senate.
Tuesday’s vote was 51-48, clearing the way for floor debate and requiring only a simple majority. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the only Republican to join all Democrats in voting against the bill. Sen. Thom Tillis (R.N.C.) did not vote, although he expressed concern about wasting time that could be used for other legislation.
Padilla and other Senate Democrats have vowed to block the bill, which would need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster and secure final passage on the floor. Republicans don’t have the votes they need to pass the bill with a 53-47 majority, but hardliners and Trump allies have vowed to crush the Senate on issues they believe will be popular with voters and put their Democratic colleagues on the record.
“That’s common sense. Polls show the American people agree,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
