DeSantis Says SAVE Act Has Almost No Chance of Passing Before Senate Break

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday that there is almost no chance Congress will pass a major voter ID bill before senators go on their August break. DeSantis, a Republican, shared his opinion on the social media platform X. He said the chances of the bill passing in time were 'basically zero.' He added, 'Happy to be wrong about this but I don't think I am.'

The bill is called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act. President Trump strongly supports this bill and wants it passed as soon as possible. The SAVE Act would require people to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote or cast a ballot. Supporters say it protects elections, while critics say it makes voting harder.

President Trump has been putting pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to keep senators in Washington to debate and vote on the bill. Thune is a Republican from South Dakota who leads the Senate. However, Thune has said the Senate will still take its planned August break. Some Republican lawmakers said they would vote to cancel the recess, but Thune has not changed course.

A user on X asked DeSantis to encourage federal lawmakers to pass the SAVE Act. DeSantis replied by pointing out that he had already signed a similar law in Florida. That Florida law requires voters in the state to show proof of citizenship before they can vote. He said he still wants the Senate to pass the federal version of the bill.

The Senate has failed to pass some version of the SAVE Act at least five times. Democrats in the Senate have blocked the bill each time. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill 'Jim Crow 2.0,' comparing it to old laws that made it harder for Black Americans to vote. Schumer wrote on X that the SAVE Act is 'dead on arrival' and 'will not pass — not now, not ever.'