Authored by Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
WASHINGTON—The Senate will hold a weekend session as it debates the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require citizenship verification and photo identification in federal elections.
President Donald Trump, who strongly backs the SAVE America Act, has called on lawmakers to add provisions banning men from women’s sports, outlawing gender-altering surgery in minors, and restricting mail-in voting.
The legislation made it out of the House on Feb. 11, where it was backed by Republicans and opposed by almost all Democrats.
The Senate initiated debate on March 17, less than two weeks ahead of a scheduled recess.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has opposed what some call the standing filibuster, citing misgivings from many of his GOP Senate colleagues about an approach that could, in theory, exhaust a filibuster of the SAVE America Act.
Senate Republicans are continuing a debate on the act even as they stare down the 60-vote filibuster threshold, a significant barrier given the current party breakdown in the upper chamber.
As the debate kicked off, Thune told reporters, “How it ends remains to be seen.”
“There will be a point at which it will end, and there will be a series of votes that come with that,” he said.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters on March 20 that he would be glad to see the Senate stick around to debate the Iran War, but not because of the SAVE America Act, which he described as legislation that “everybody knows is not going to pass.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), lead sponsor of the SAVE America Act, doubled down on his commitment to the measure.
“The SAVE America Act will pass[.] The Senate must keep debating it until that happens,” he wrote on X on March 20.
On Truth Social, Trump reiterated his support for the measure on March 20, ahead of the Senate’s weekend work.
“The SAVE America Act must be passed by the Senate. There is nothing more important for the U.S.A.,” he wrote.
Lawmakers have submitted multiple amendments to the bill, including some intended to implement Trump’s proposed changes to it.
An amendment to the SAVE America Act from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to ban men from competing in women’s sports is now on pace for a March 21 vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also teed up a procedural vote related to funding the Transportation and Security Administration, though one removed several steps from a vote on the floor.
In addition, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) filed for cloture on Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Okla.) nomination as Homeland Security Secretary.
Thune’s move brings up a March 22 vote in the Senate.