Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Democrats’ Plan To Block Republicans’ Voter Suppression Bill, The SAVE Act

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor on Democrats' plan to put a stop to the SAVE Act, MAGA Republicans' legislation to rig our elections and disenfranchise millions of American citizens. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

If MAGA Republicans want to bog down the Senate over a debate on voter suppression, Democrats are ready.

We are ready to be here all day, all night, as long as it takes to ensure the powers of voter suppression do not win the day.

Let me be very clear, the SAVE Act is not a voter ID bill. It is in every sense a voter suppression bill.

It could purge millions of American citizens from the voter rolls through a screening algorithm designed by Elon Musk's DOGE squad. It could disenfranchise over 20 million American citizens. It would kill online voter registration. It would kill vote by mail. It would kill motor voter registration.

What does any of that have to do with election security? It doesn't. It's a naked attempt to rig our elections.

The SAVE Act also rejects the most common forms of ID for anyone trying to register. The way this works, you don't have to be notified if you're kicked off the rolls. You show up on election day and they say, "we're sorry Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones, you're not on the rolls anymore." And then they make it impossible to re-register. Certainly, on that day you lose your right to vote.

Driver's licenses are no longer enough. The most common ID forms for anyone to register are rejected in the SAVE Act, for the first time in just about every state. Not even military IDs would be enough. Can you believe that? That would be radical.

It would force Americans to register only in person, something only 5% of Americans do today.

It punishes married women who change their last names.

The SAVE Act is not about protecting the vote, it is about making it harder to vote and easier to steal an election.

And we know what the deal is here. Donald Trump says if Republicans pass the SAVE Act, it guarantees the midterm. The senior senator from Utah says Republicans will lose power, likely for a long time, if they don't get the SAVE American Act passed. That's the whole game. It's cynical. It's beneath the Senate. It's beneath democracy.

Senate Democrats will never let this rotten bill move through this body.

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