March 18th 2026 |
Photo – File Photo
In Washington, D.C., a political showdown is underway that could impact national elections. On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate began debating President Donald Trump’s marquee election bill after Republicans advanced the measure on a narrow 51-48 vote.
All Democrats and one Republican voted “no.”
Vice President JD Vance was on hand to cast a tie-breaker in case two other Republicans defected, but a second wildcard, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), voted “yes,” and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a centrist opposed to the legislation, was absent for the vote.
Floor speeches will continue into next week. Senator John Barrasso, the majority whip from Wyoming, said Democrats want to put illegal immigrants ahead of American voters.
The speeches that began yesterday are expected to last at least a week, maybe longer.
President Trump on Tuesday warned that he would not endorse any Republican who opposes the SAVE America Act. The president has vowed not to sign any bills into law until the voting legislation passes.
The key provisions of the bill require states to collect and verify documentary proof of citizenship during voter registration.
- Mandates photo ID at polling places; mail-in voters must submit a copy of their ID or provide the last four digits of their Social Security number.
- Directs states to send voter rolls to DHS to cross-check against immigration databases and remove non-citizens.
- Imposes criminal penalties on election officials who register voters without proper documentation and allows private lawsuits against them.
