Story perspectives

Trump Ties SAVE Act to 702, Critics Decry Voting Restrictions

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump demanded the SAVE America Act be attached to the Section 702 reauthorization.
Critics say the act, based on an unfounded noncitizen-voting claim, would curb mail voting and transgender rights.
The House passed a February version imposing proof-of-citizenship registration that many voters would struggle to meet.
Senator Mike Lee is pushing a “talking filibuster” and urging MAGA activists to make the bill a litmus test, drawing GOP criticism.

History

Historical Context

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965, banned literacy tests and spurred registration of roughly 250,000 Black voters that year. Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision gutted the Act’s preclearance, prompting new state restrictions. The SAVE America Act, promoted by former President Donald Trump and Sen. Mike Lee, seeks proof-of-citizenship rules that could revive those disenfranchisement patterns.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump demanded the SAVE America Act be attached to the Section 702 reauthorization.
Critics say the act, based on an unfounded noncitizen-voting claim, would curb mail voting and transgender rights.
The House passed a February version imposing proof-of-citizenship registration that many voters would struggle to meet.
Senator Mike Lee is pushing a “talking filibuster” and urging MAGA activists to make the bill a litmus test, drawing GOP criticism.

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