Trump holds Washington hostage over SAVE Act as midterm clock ticks on GOP control

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. 

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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 Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Trump refused to sign at the "11th hour."

"The SAVE America Act has always been a top priority for President Trump, and it remains one. This is commonsense legislation, supported by the vast majority of Americans, that will secure our elections for generations to come," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.

"The president knows how critical this issue is for the American people, and he will not stop fighting until it is passed," Jackson added.

Democratic lawmakers have argued the SAVE Act would create unnecessary barriers for eligible voters, disenfranchising them.

"In fact, he won't sign our bipartisan bill to finally bring relief to the housing market until he gets his SAVE Act to rig the midterms and kick millions of American citizens off the voter rolls. America First," said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, referencing the housing act. 

"Donald Trump thinks that passing a voter suppression law is the most important thing for our country," posted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on X. 

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The SAVE Act also became entangled in the Texas Senate fight between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, where the filibuster and Trump's endorsement became part of the same pressure campaign.

Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton previously sounded the alarm on the importance of getting the bill passed during his campaign in March. 

"I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act," he wrote on X at the time.

Cornyn declined to back the SAVE Act even as he signaled he could reconsider his longtime support for the filibuster, sharpening the Texas primary pressure before Trump ultimately endorsed Paxton.

Trump also diverted his attention back to the SAVE Act in another move to push his immigration agenda after a Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship.

After the Supreme Court ruled that children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment, Trump turned back to the SAVE Act as part of his broader immigration and elections push.

"The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process," Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune has cast doubt on the bill's path forward, saying Republicans do not have the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

Trump has pushed Senate Republicans to change the rules and pass the bill by a simple majority, while pressing Democrats to publicly defend their reliance on the filibuster.

Trump has sounded the alarm that the SAVE Act may never pass if it doesn't cross the finish line before November. 

Republicans and administration officials have joined Trump's crusade by using their speaking engagements to help push the SAVE Act.

Vice President JD Vance said by passing the legislation to get voter ID, Republicans will stop talking about election fraud. 

"We are the only advanced democracy anywhere in the entire world that doesn't require you to show a voter ID to vote. It's simple. Just give us election integrity laws, give us voter ID, and then we will have the confidence to say the American people, there's no cheating," said Vance. "So stop it and give the American people voter ID."

The Senate is scheduled to return from its Independence Day recess the week of July 13.