Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) confirmed on Fox News that he will be forcing a vote on critical election integrity legislation, making Democrats go on the record opposing the most basic measures to prevent fraud.
On Wednesday, the day after Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, which included promotion of the SAVE America Act, Thune went on Fox News. On America's Newsroom, Aishah Hasnie asked Thune about forcing a vote on the legislation, which would require proof of citizenship to register for voting and to vote, and he replied, “We will put the Democrats on the record!”
🚨 BREAKING: Senate Leader John Thune confirms HE'S FORCING A VOTE on the SAVE America Act, he will put Democrats ON THE RECORD opposing the 85-15 issue
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 25, 2026
This MUST pass! Voter ID, citizenship — common sense 🇺🇸
"We will put the Democrats on the record! [...] We'll get it on the… pic.twitter.com/bvtULHAV45
He continued, “And it’s a stark contrast … the Democrats even in the chamber last night having to sit there and try to defend allowing non-citizens to vote in American elections, that is a losing proposition.” Democrats refused to stand and applaud when Trump talked about the SAVE Act.
Some Republicans have cautioned that if Thune forces a vote now, the legislation will fail, while others insist that a delay in action is harmful. It is not clear if Thune believes he could still get the legislation passed in spite of Democrat opposition. The Senate majority leader did clarify, however, that he would have wait an end to the government shutdown before a vote on the SAVE Act, so perhaps that delay will be long enough for him to drum up the necessary votes.
As of 2024, a Gallup poll found that 84% of Americans supported requiring photo ID to vote, which means even a lot of Democrats supported it. It is a bipartisan and popular issue among voters, and the only people who oppose it are Democrat politicians who know they have to cheat to win.
Therefore, it is likely that voters will be behind Thune as he told Fox, “We'll get it on the floor, have a vote, we will make sure the Democrats are on the record.”
He emphasized, “It's a stark contrast between Republicans and Democrats on how they want to handle elections.” Thune declared, “This is gonna put them in a very difficult position. If I were running as a Democrat in the 2026 midterm elections, I would not want to have to defend that position.”
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