Trump adds pressure to pass the SAVE America Act, with new anti-trans provisions

March 10, 2026

President Trump is demanding that Congress pass an expanded version of the SAVE America Act, a Republican voting bill that originally required citizenship documentation for voter registration, threatening to block all other legislation until it passes. Trump now wants to add voter ID requirements, mail-in ballot restrictions, and provisions banning transgender women from sports and gender-affirming care for minors, despite these additions having no connection to the original voting legislation. The bill faces significant obstacles in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and where anti-transgender measures have repeatedly been stripped from other legislation.

Who is affected

Voters who would need to provide citizenship documentation, particularly married women and others who have changed their legal names (estimated 69 million women and 4 million men)
Transgender Americans, especially those in states restricting accurate ID access and those who could be impacted by proposed sports and healthcare bans
Kansas transgender residents whose licenses are being invalidated under state law
Members of Congress facing pressure to pass the bill
Department of Homeland Security employees and travelers experiencing airport delays due to the agency's funding lapse
Sen. John Cornyn facing pressure in his Texas Republican primary runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton

What action is being taken

President Trump is threatening to block other bills until the expanded SAVE America Act passes
The Department of Homeland Security funding remains shut down (lapsed February 14)
Airports are experiencing longer security lines
President Trump is withholding an endorsement in the Texas Senate race to pressure Republicans
Online pressure campaigns are being mounted against Senate Republican leadership
Senate Majority Leader Thune is negotiating to reopen the Department of Homeland Security

Why it matters

The SAVE America Act represents a significant conflict over voting access and federal authority over elections, with requirements that could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters who lack matching citizenship documents. Trump's expansion of the bill to include unrelated anti-transgender provisions further threatens its viability while leveraging culture war issues for political gain. The standoff is paralyzing other legislative priorities, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security, and demonstrates the difficulty of passing controversial legislation through a divided Senate that requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. The bill also highlights how transgender Americans face compounding barriers to voting as states restrict their access to accurate identification documents.

What's next

The House (currently on recess) would need to draft and pass a new version of the bill incorporating Trump's additional demands
Speaker Mike Johnson has been asked by Trump to "draw a new one" with the expanded provisions
Senate will need to determine whether to take up any version of the bill
Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations continue, with Thune indicating Trump would sign a bill to reopen the department
Trump plans to use passage of the act as leverage in midterm election races

Read full article from source: The 19th