President Donald Trump is turning the stalled SAVE America Act into a leverage fight on Capitol Hill, tying the bill to unrelated Republican priorities as the party races to use its congressional majorities before the midterms.The fight now stretches across defense spending, housing legislation, Senate primary politics and the filibuster, as Trump pushes Republicans to move the stalled elections bill before the party’s midterm window narrows.The latest pressure point came Tuesday, when Trump tied the stalled elections bill to a proposed "Reconciliation 3.0" package seeking $350 billion in new defense spending. "The SAVE AMERICA ACT, which everyone is asking for, paired with the full funding of our Great Department of War, can be passed, very quickly, ensuring that the United States of America stays FREE for Generations to come," Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday. TRUMP'S SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE IN THE SENATE DESPITE REPUBLICAN REVOLTPresident Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug.6, 2025.
(Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)The SAVE America Act includes Trump’s long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification, which has faced obstacles in the Senate.Trump has warned about the need for voter ID laws for years, including from the 2016 campaign trail. In late June, Trump announced a last-minute cancellation of the signing of the 21st Century ROAD Act of Housing, while issuing an ultimatum to get the SAVE Act passed.The housing bill had bipartisan support and would have expanded the supply of homes and lower costs while also giving individual buyers a leg up by banning large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. The cancellation came as a shock to members on both sides of the aisle, with Republican Maine Sen.
Susan Collins saying the decision "made no sense," while Massachusetts Democratic Sen.Elizabeth Warren said Trump refused to sign at the "11th hour.""The SAVE America...