Trump-backed ‘SAVE Act’ will make it harder for Black voters, critics say

“The SAVE Act is not an election security bill — it is a voter suppression bill, full stop,” said U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The “SAVE America Act,” an election overhaul bill that establishes stricter voter registration laws, was passed on Wednesday in the United States House of Representatives, heading to the U.S. Senate and, potentially, to President Donald Trump‘s desk.

The legislation, which would require ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote, has been backed by the White House and described as necessary by President Trump to prevent Democrats from cheating in elections.

“We don’t have voter ID and the Democrats don’t want it. And the reason they don’t want it is because they want to cheat,” Trump said in the Oval Office last week.

But while Republicans say the SAVE Act would restore election integrity–despite there being no evidence of mass voter fraud in any U.S. election–critics of the bill say it will suppress Black and Brown voters and create more barriers to their access to the ballot.

“The Republicans’ amended version of the SAVE Act that passed in the House is nothing more than an effort to undermine the right to vote ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The SAVE Act is not an election security bill — it is a voter suppression bill, full stop,” said U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “Republicans have failed our communities with their billionaire-first agenda and policies that have caused the cost of living to skyrocket. They know their only pathway to keeping the majority in Congress is to steal the election by suppressing the vote under the guise of preventing non-existent, widespread voter fraud committed by noncitizens.

Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said the SAVE Act would “undermine” the U.S. election system and make it “harder to vote for millions of eligible U.S. citizens — disproportionately Black and minority voters and women.”

According to the Democracy Project, 21% of Black Americans and 23% of Hispanic Americans do not have access to a driver’s license, compared to only 8% of white Americans.

“Consequences of this are numerous, but one striking example is that 13.8% of Black households lack a checking or savings account compared to just 2.5% of white households. IDs are required to open these accounts,” the outlet reports. The Democracy Project notes that restrictive ID practices date back decades to the Jim Crow era, when Black Americans were denied access to hospitals and never given birth certificates.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the SAVE Act is “nothing more than voter suppression disguised as voter protection,” adding, “it’s part of a larger effort to dismantle our right to vote.” The civil rights leader urged the U.S. Senate to block the “dangerous” bill.

Johnson pointed to Trump’s previous declaration that elections should be “nationalized,” which he said is a “direct violation” of the Constitution.

“His ally [Steve Bannon] is urging him to deploy ICE to terrorize voters at the polls. And now Trump wants Congress to pass a law that would suppress tens of millions of citizens from voting. Why? Because he’s a failed and deeply unpopular president, entangled in Epstein’s sex trafficking crisis and a sinking economy, who knows he’s bound to lose control of Congress,” said the NAACP head.

He added, “We, the People, are still in charge of our democracy, and our vote still determines who represents us. Regardless of how much this senile old man tries to intimidate you, vote in November.”

The SAVE Act is unlikely to pass in the Senate, where Republicans have a 53-47 majority–short of the 60 votes needed to advance legislation. President Trump urged Republicans to change the filibuster in order to pass the SAVE Act.

“Changing the Senate filibuster to force through this voter suppression bill is a red line for the Congressional Black Caucus,” said Rep. Clarke. “The CBC will not sit back while extremists continue to strip away access to the ballot box for our communities, and we are calling on every Senator to reject this assault on our democracy and stand up for the integrity of our elections.”

The push to pass the SAVE Act comes several months before the November midterm elections. Trump, who also pushed for Republicans in several states to redraw congressional maps more favorable to them in this year’s elections, has said that if Republicans lose their control of Congress, he will be impeached.