The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a narrow 5-4 ruling this week upholding a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to five business days after election day, as long as they are postmarked by election day. The decision immediately drew a sharp response from President Trump.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump called on Congress to pass what he’s calling the SAVE America Act. The legislation would require documentary proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration and place limits on mail-in ballots, while carving out exceptions for voters who are disabled, ill, traveling, or deployed military personnel.
According to a report, Trump pointed out that the House has already approved the Act three times, directing his frustration at the Senate for failing to advance it.
Trump specifically called out five Republican senators by name, urging Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, and Mitch McConnell to get on board. “There can be no more excuses,” Trump wrote, framing the moment in stark terms and comparing the current political climate to threats the country has faced throughout history.
On the Senate side, some Republicans are not waiting around. Indiana Senator Jim Banks and Utah Senator Mike Lee are pushing to attach the SAVE Act to other moving legislation. Banks suggested adding it to a housing bill, a FISA reauthorization measure, or a new reconciliation package. We must secure our elections once and for all,” Banks posted to X.
It’s a creative approach, and potentially a necessary one. The bill has been in play for nearly a year and still hasn’t crossed the finish line in the Senate, despite broad public support for its core provisions.
The sticking points remain familiar. Tillis and McConnell are both heading for the exit, which limits whatever political leverage supporters might use to bring them around. Collins faces a competitive reelection battle, which could make her more receptive to the pressure. Murkowski has long been a thorn in the side of Trump-aligned Republicans and shows little sign of changing course.
The frustration here isn’t hard to understand. Voter registration reforms and commonsense limits on mail-in ballots are not fringe ideas. Polling consistently shows wide public support for measures like proof of citizenship requirements. The gap between what voters want and what the Senate actually delivers is exactly the kind of thing that erodes public trust in Congress.
Trump’s message after the Supreme Court ruling was clear. The window is open, the House has done its part multiple times over, and the pressure is now squarely on the Senate to act.