Will the SAVE Act pass the Senate? Latest vote update as GOP weighs shutdown fight

The SAVE Act has not passed the Senate, but the Republican push to revive the voter eligibility bill is gaining a new, higher-stakes path: a possible government funding showdown.

As of Monday, July 20, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act remains stalled in the Senate after passing the House in February. The bill, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, has become one of President Donald Trump's top election-related priorities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The latest development is that some Senate conservatives are increasingly open to attaching the SAVE America Act to a short-term government funding bill, potentially setting up a confrontation with Democrats before the Sept. 30 funding deadline. Newsmax reported Monday that several Senate Republicans aligned with Trump are willing to tie the election bill to a continuing resolution, while other Republicans have warned the strategy could backfire.

There is no confirmed stand-alone Senate vote scheduled for the SAVE Act as of Monday, July 20.

The most recent update is that the fight over the SAVE Act may be shifting from a stand-alone Senate vote to a broader funding battle. Senate conservatives are increasingly open to tying Trump's election agenda to a government funding bill before the Sept. 30 deadline. According to reports, Senate Budget Committee Chair Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he would support the proposal "if we could pass it." "If we could pass it, I'd be in favor of it," Johnson told The Hill, according to Newsmax.

But not all Republicans are aligned on that strategy. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., warned that the proposal could backfire because there may not be enough time to implement changes before the November election, while Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., has called for a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open.

House Republican leaders wanting to avoid a government shutdown before the November midterms unveiled legislation Friday to fund the government through Dec. 4, which Speaker Mike Johnson (R. Louisiana) said he plans to bring up to the floor this week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has already warned Democrats would oppose a funding measure carrying the SAVE America Act.

Republican strategist Brian Darling told The Hill that attaching the bill to a funding measure would force Democrats into a politically difficult position, according to Newsmax. But Schumer has warned Democrats would oppose a funding bill that includes the SAVE Act.

Republicans are growing anxious about whether Congress is running out of time to pass the SAVE America Act before the midterms, noting that House GOP leaders are planning to attach the proof-of-citizenship and voter ID bill to must-pass legislation sent to the Senate.