Did the Senate remove the SAVE America Act voting bill from its agenda?

Republican leaders last week removed the SAVE Act proposal as pending business in the chamber as it has taken a backseat while senators work to advance a budget resolution to end the DHS shutdown.

For the time being and likely for the next six months before midterms, the SAVE Act is benched as a majority of Senate Republicans have prioritized more pressing matters to move forward to the floor, given the war with Iran, the Department of Homeland shutdown and the economy.

Here’s what to know about the SAVE America Act status and what the voter ID bill means ahead of the November midterms.

After the House passed a version of the SAVE Act in February requiring voters to provide documentary proof of US citizenship when registering and a photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections the measure was moved to the Senate for debate and a vote.

Weeks of debate — and a two-week spring break — later and the SAVE America Act bill is effectively benched. The bill has been championed by President Donald Trump and was considered a top agenda item and got an extensive pressure campaign by conservative members and influencers. But other GOP members believe the pro-SAVE America Act blitz, led by Utah Sen. Mike Lee and other extreme conservatives, did little to advance the bill.

Since their return on April 13, the Senate has focused on other priorities, according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

After Senate-floor discussion April 20, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said the debate is now stalled, meaning a vote isn’t likely any times soon.

“Just so America knows, after two weeks in recess, John Thune is no longer considering the SAVE America Act,” the Florida Republican said.

The last vote was a motion to pass the Husted amendment #4732 on March 26; it failed by a vote of 53-47, and was one of three provisions that President Donald Trump is pushing to be included in the final law.

The Husted amendment would have required a photo identification as a condition to cast a ballot in person and get rid of mail-in voting with exceptions for military, travel or illness. The other two provisions that Trump is fighting for are to stop men from playing in women’s sports and prohibiting gender transition surgeries for children. However, these have not been added to the bill to as of yet.

Did the SAVE Act pass the Senate? SAVE America Act vote results

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE America Act, was passed in the House of Representatives by a majority vote (218-213) on Feb. 11. It currently remains stalled on Senate floor for debate and will need to pass a full vote before it goes to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

The last vote on the SAVE America Act was a motion to invoke cloture on the Husted amendment #4732 on March 26th, which failed by a vote of 53-47 in the Senate. It now remains open for continued debate on the Senate floor, but appears stalled.

Will the SAVE Act pass? SAVE America Act status

The betting odds of the SAVE Act passing and becoming law remain unfavorable, with Kalshi predicting 10.3% favorability and Polymarket odds giving it a 13% chance of passing.

Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending and breaking topics across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for USA Today Network. Reach her at mfrancis@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Did Senate GOP bench SAVE Act voter ID bill amid Iran war concerns?