Trump threatened not to sign bills into law until the SAVE Act passes. Can it?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Trump said he won’t sign bills until Congress sends the SAVE Act.
- SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship for registration and ID to vote.
- Senate passage faces a filibuster; a bill can become law without his signature.
Good morning! I’m Danielle Battaglia. Welcome to the latest edition of Under the Dome focused on the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump posted on social media a few weeks ago a threat that he would not sign any piece of legislation that came before him until Congress sends him the SAVE Act.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act requires people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and then show identification when casting a ballot.
You’ll hear Republicans say that 80% of Americans are in favor of this law, but it’s a little more convoluted than it appears at face value.
Would voters have the right documents?
Accepted proof of citizenship include a passport, a birth certificate, or naturalization documentation.
Opponents of the bill say this will disenfranchise voters, specifically women, low-income, elderly and rural residents.
Many women’s birth certificates do not match their current names after getting married. And low income, elderly and rural residents often have difficulty traveling to government buildings to obtain these type of documents in a timely manner.
And if you’re wondering, because I was, 51% of the U.S. population owns a passport, according to the State Department.
Tillis weighs in
None of North Carolina’s House members co-sponsored the bill, though all of the Republican members voted for it.
Both Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill.
But Tillis has been a vocal opponent of the current iteration of the bill, in part due to some of the amendments that have been proposed since it was first written.
“While I support strengthening mail-in ballot integrity, many states like Utah, Florida, Alaska, and Montana rely on the use of mail-in ballots to conduct their elections, and we should not be completely upending how states already securely conduct their elections,” Tillis said in a news release Thursday. “Even if this issue is fixed, the SAVE America Act still will not have the 60 votes required to pass it.”
Tillis also opposes the bill now, because he worries that Senate Republican would have to permanently get rid of the filibuster, a procedural maneuver that allows members of the Senate to put off a vote. Senate Republicans are asking Senate Majority Leader John Thune to force a talking filibuster in which Democrats would have to stay on the floor and debate the speech nonstop, instead of the silent filibuster that’s taking place now.
“While the so-called ‘talking filibuster’ has been floated as an option, there is a reason why previous attempts to utilize it in recent history have failed,” Tillis said. “A ‘talking filibuster’ would effectively make (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer the new Senate Majority Leader, allowing Democrats to block every single Trump judge and executive branch nominee, and allow them to force endless votes on anything they want. Democrats would control the floor of the U.S. Senate until the end of the year.”
Procedurally, to end a member’s filibuster, the Senate has to file cloture, meaning 60 members have to agree to end debate and bring the bill to a vote.
For years, Tillis has been clear that he’s not willing to risk the Senate’s ability to filibuster. He reiterated that Thursday.
“I have made it crystal clear that I will never vote to do this,” Tillis said. “Eliminating the filibuster is a foolish and lazy idea pushed by politicians seeking short-term gain at the expense of causing irreparable long-term harm to our nation. Succeeding in eliminating the filibuster would significantly weaken the minority party, end the need for bipartisan compromise, and allow erratic swings in policy that would transform America for the worse. Those are just the consequences of a best-case outcome. “
Senate Republicans do not have enough votes to pass the bill.
“The only real path to address the American people’s declining confidence in our elections is for both parties to find common ground on legislation that supports universal adoption of voter ID, proof of citizenship, and other vital election integrity measures,” Tillis said.
As for Trump’s threat, a bill can become law without his signature, so long as he doesn’t veto it.
Headlines you won’t want to miss
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- Can Democrat Don Davis take credit for money Congress sent to NC?
- Tillis backs Bishop as Democrats try to block US attorney nomination
- As vaccine hesitancy rises, Wake urges parents to vaccinate kids for measles
- Republican Rep. Mike Clampitt, House member from Western NC, has died
- Durham leaders say brace yourself for the next budget — what’s driving the warning
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and supporting local journalism.
Be kind to each other.
If you have any feedback or tips for this edition of the newsletter, feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
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This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
