Can Trump Save the SAVE America Act? 

The Senate left for recess without passing President Donald Trump’s pet election integrity legislation, the SAVE America Act. Now, Republicans are wondering if he can save the SAVE Act before it’s too late. 

The House passed the SAVE America Act, but Majority Leader John Thune said the math doesn’t add up to pass it in the Senate, allowing members to return to their home districts for the month of August without passing the bill. 

Trump posted on TruthSocial Wednesday to remind the world that all Democrats voted against the bill. 

“ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PHOTO I.D. (IDENTIFICATION!) – Meaning they want to CHEAT!” he said. “2. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP – Meaning they want Criminal Illegal Aliens to VOTE!” 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the sponsor of the bill, said Trump gave the Senate some pre-recess assignments with the understanding that they would revisit SAVE America after they returned.

“Earlier this month, President Trump encouraged Senate Republicans to get the government funded and Todd Blanche confirmed as attorney general on the understanding that we would resume the fight for voter ID in Reconciliation 3.0 this September, and that’s what I intend to do,” he told the Daily Signal. 

“Today, the president reaffirmed that election security remains his top priority, as it is the priority of millions of American citizens,” he added, “and we must deliver for them.”

However, with midterms quickly approaching, it is unclear how much political leverage Trump will apply to pressuring senators to revive the SAVE America Act.  

Lauren Bis, deputy press secretary at the White House, told the Daily Signal Trump has been clear that “we fix this now, or we lose our country.” 

“Every American should be asking why Democrats are fighting against the SAVE America Act which includes commonsense election integrity measures, like Voter ID, that are strongly supported by the vast majority of Americans,” she said. “This legislation will make sure Americans, and Americans only, decide our elections.”

Trump “certainly can” revive the SAVE Act, said Ken Cuccinelli, former Virginia attorney general and leader of the Election Transparency Initiative. 

“Nobody can put more pressure on them than he can,” he told the Daily Signal. “It’s really a question of what he’s willing to do for it. Are you willing to start vetoing things that you know they want? And that’s in front of an election as well. That throws a whole other level of complication in there.” 

Trump refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill earlier in the summer, saying he wouldn’t sign anything until the SAVE America Act passed. But that strategy becomes more risky as GOP members seek to impress their constituents of midterms to avoid losing the House and Senate majorities.

But the SAVE America Act is “now or never,” Cuccinelli said, as Congress is likely to get less conservative after midterms. 

“We’ll see what he’s willing to do, and I hope he’s willing to push,” he said. “These folks need to be pushed.” 

Attaching the SAVE Act’s voter ID requirement and mail-in voting ban to must-pass legislation is the most likely vehicle at this point, the former attorney general said. 

“They’re far and away the most important aspects,” he said. “Everything else falls away substantially in significance.” 

On Aug. 10, when asked by the Daily Signal if he was frustrated the Senate left for recess without passing SAVE America, Trump said, “I think they should pass voter ID.”

“I think they should pass proof of citizenship, basically SAVE America, you know, SAVE America Act,” he said.