WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would withhold his signature from any further legislation until Congress enacts a rigorous proof-of-citizenship voting measure, which he insists must also eliminate the option for Americans to cast ballots by mail. This striking demand comes just months before the upcoming midterm elections.
Speaking to House Republicans at their yearly retreat held at his Florida golf club, Trump asserted his belief that they could not win elections unless voting regulations are tightened to prevent fraud. This stance is taken despite the widespread popularity of mail ballots in many states and the existing federal mandate for national election voters to be U.S. citizens, with little indication that noncitizens regularly attempt to vote.
The president aims to strengthen the so-called SAVE America Act, a bill the House has already endorsed. He urged the Senate to overcome its filibuster procedures to ensure its passage to his desk. Electoral experts have warned that the bill could disenfranchise approximately 20 million American voters who lack readily available birth certificates or similar identification, a figure that would likely increase significantly with the additional prohibition on mail balloting that Trump is demanding.
“I am not signing anything until this passes,” Trump declared, identifying it as his foremost priority.
“It will ensure victory in the midterms,” he stated. “Without it, there will be major problems.”
Voting rights groups sound alarms
The president’s resolve to enact electoral reforms has prompted warnings from voting rights organizations, as the Trump administration expands its reach into states’ constitutional authority over election ballots and procedures in the U.S.
This initiative also emerges as his Republican Party, which holds a slim majority in Congress, faces challenges this autumn, with its majorities at risk. Lawmakers are contending with other urgent matters, including the immediate necessity of funding the Department of Homeland Security, as airport personnel and others are experiencing unpaid work amidst ongoing disputes in Congress over the agency’s immigration and deportation policies.
Democrats largely oppose Trump’s attempts to exert greater control over elections, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer commenting that Trump’s demands would paralyze the chamber.
“This is characteristic of him — he’s a ruffian, he’s an intimidator,” Schumer of New York remarked.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close ally of Trump, stood with the president on stage as other GOP leaders applauded the proposed legislation.
However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that employing the so-called “talking filibuster” to pass the voting bill, as suggested by Trump and others, is more complicated than it appears.
“Historically, we cannot find a single piece of legislation passed through that method,” Thune informed reporters.
Trump has stated his desire for the bill to be approved before any other legislation is signed into law, even if it takes half a year.
Trump’s grievances over his 2020 defeat
The president maintains his assertion that he was not the defeated candidate in the 2020 election, and his Justice Department is investigating his concerns. The FBI undertook the highly unusual action of confiscating ballots and election materials in Georgia and, most recently, in Arizona.
Trump is calling on the GOP-controlled Congress to expand upon the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, by creating a new legislative package that he refers to as the “best of Trump.”
As currently approved by the House, the bill would already mandate voters to furnish proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote. Furthermore, they would be required to present a photo ID when casting their ballots, a practice already enforced in many states.
Trump’s primary proposed addition is a ban on mail-in ballots, which are utilized by numerous states across the country. He would allow exemptions for voters with disabilities, those in the military, or other specific circumstances.
The president views mail-in ballots as prone to fraud, while voting advocacy groups have long championed this method as a means of enhancing voter accessibility for Americans.
Additionally, the president seeks to append two unrelated measures concerning transgender rights: one that would prohibit individuals born as men from participating in women’s sports, and another to prevent sex reassignment surgeries for certain minors.
Trump also raised the possibility of incorporating an unrelated foreign surveillance bill, known as FISA, which is due for renewal and frequently poses a contentious political challenge in Congress.
“Let’s aim for the ultimate prize,” he told the House Republicans at his Doral resort.
A contingent of Trump’s supporters has been advocating for various iterations of the SAVE America Act, with its proof-of-citizenship clauses being a longstanding objective of the president’s MAGA coalition. Trump also cautioned the House GOP that their current version of the bill is insufficient. “We will not sign a diluted version,” he declared.
GOP senators mixed over filibuster
Republican senators are slated to deliberate on the path forward during their private meetings this week. Currently, there is no consensus, with some favoring the use of a talking filibuster to pass the voting bill, while others are vehemently opposed.
Thune has cautioned that allowing the Senate to engage in endless debate, as the talking filibuster proposal would entail, could also lead to an onslaught of amendments that might alter the bill in ways that could create divisions among Republicans.
Conversely, other senators believe the moment has arrived to confront the issue directly and bypass Democrats who oppose the legislation.
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Associated Press journalists Mary Clare Jalonick and Steven Sloan, reporting from Doral, Florida, contributed to this article.