Trump Urges Senate to Merge SAVE America Act with DHS Funding Bill
Trump argued that voter identification and citizenship verification are core homeland security issues and should be included in any funding package to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Tommy Flynn
President Donald Trump called on Senate Republicans to combine the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act with the Department of Homeland Security funding bill during a roundtable event in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 23, 2026.
Trump argued that voter identification and citizenship verification are core homeland security issues and should be included in any funding package to end the ongoing partial government shutdown.
“We want voter ID, we want proof of citizenship as part of our funding,” Trump said. “We want to merge them so that we can get the great, big, beautiful bill in action. I’m suggesting very strongly that the Republicans, in going for the SAVE America Act, that you weld it into exactly this because voter ID is part of Homeland Security.”
He continued: “Think of it. We’re talking about two separate items, but they’re really the same. Voter ID is part of Homeland Security. Proof of citizenship is part of homeland security. So I think it should be welded in. I think it should be together.”
The SAVE America Act, which passed the House earlier this year, requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a passport, birth certificate, or REAL ID) when registering to vote in federal elections and mandates photo identification at the polls beginning in 2027. It also includes provisions tightening mail-in ballot rules and other election security measures.
Trump has repeatedly described the legislation as essential to restoring confidence in elections and preventing non-citizen voting. He has tied its passage directly to any resolution of the DHS funding impasse, which has now lasted six weeks since February 14 and led to severe TSA staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
The remarks in Memphis come as Senate Majority Leader John Thune continues extended debate on the standalone SAVE Act, but Democrats have blocked multiple DHS funding attempts, insisting on additional policy changes before approving spending.
No immediate response came from Senate leadership on Trump’s suggestion to combine the bills. The funding fight and election security debate remain unresolved as the partial shutdown continues.