The SAVE Act—Republicans’ attempt to strip voting rights from millions of Americans under the guise of “safeguarding” elections that are already quite safe—is now headed for debate in the Senate, and President Donald Trump is pushing hard for the bill. Top Democrats say the GOP’s real aim is to “rig the system” by putting paperwork and ID barriers in front of millions of currently eligible voters, and that the bill is part of a larger, ongoing effort to undermine trust in elections and reshape rules in Trump’s favor.
Under the SAVE Act, people would have to show “proof of citizenship,” in the form of a passport or a birth certificate, in order to be allowed to register to vote.
But 21.3 million people (more than 9 percent of Americans) don’t have these documents readily available, and at least 3.8 million don’t have them at all, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Just over half of Americans (51 percent) lack a passport, a document that is time-consuming and costly to acquire or replace.
In mandating these documents, the government would be effectively instituting a “poll tax” similar to that used in Southern states before passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to deny Black citizens their right to vote.
The SAVE Act will also disproportionately impact women who have changed or hyphenated their names—which is over 80 percent of women married to men.
Likewise, elderly voters, young voters and voters without the financial means to acquire these documents will be overwhelmingly impacted.
In a move many suspect is the result of pressure from Trump, Maine Republican Susan Collins, who is facing a tough reelection challenge, endorsed the legislation last week, bringing the SAVE Act’s proponents a step closer to passage, should the bill make it to the floor of the Senate. But Republicans will need support from Democrats in order to make it to the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster—unless Majority Leader John Thune engineers a rules change that would allow Republicans to bypass regular Senate procedures.
This is all part of a broader right-wing plan to push women out of political power, and public life in general. Policies like the SAVE Act reflect the agendas of plans put forward in the Heritage Foundation’s recently released report “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years”—essentially Project 2275, as Jill Filipovic writes.
The plan’s antifeminist goals are explicit: “Have fewer women go to college; push women to marry and start having babies when they’re very young; ban same-sex marriage; ban IVF; limit contraception access; strip basic rights even to physical safety from children; penalize single mothers; and impose conservative Christianity as a national religion,” she writes. (Seriously, read Filipovic’s article, pulished on her Substack Throughline and cross-posted on Ms.)
Urge Your Senator to Oppose the SAVE Act
If this outrages you as much as it outrages us, call your senators—especially if you live in states with one or two Republican senators—and urge them to oppose the SAVE Act.
Click here to find your senators’ information, or call the Capitol switchboard directly at (202) 224-3121, and ask for your senator’s office.
We also urge you to call Sen. Majority Leader John Thune at (202) 224-2321. As the head of the Senate, he needs to hear from everyone outraged by this blatant attempt to curtail women’s voting power.
Now is the time to speak out, and to speak loudly.
Great Job Kathy Spillar & the Team @ Ms. Magazine for sharing this story.
