DeSantis says ‘basically zero’ chance SAVE Act passes Senate before August recess

State Watch DeSantis says ‘basically zero’ chance SAVE Act passes Senate before August recess Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/28/26 3:48 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/28/26 3:48 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday cast doubt on Congress’ ability to pass President Trump’s top voter reform policy bill before they break for August recess.

DeSantis wrote in a post on the social platform X that the chances of this bill passing before this scheduled break was “basically zero.”

“Happy to be wrong about this but I don’t think I am,” he added.

The president has placed pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to keep lawmakers in town to debate and pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

Thune has remained firm on the Senate’s scheduled break, despite some GOP lawmakers saying they would vote to cancel August recess.

The Republican governor waded into this policy discussion on the social platform X after a user asked him to encourage federal lawmakers to pass this legislation, which would place new identification requirements on registering to vote and casting a ballot.

“Well, for one thing, I’ve already signed the SAVE Act for Florida,” DeSantis responded, referencing a new Florida law that requires voters in the state to show proof of citizenship before casting their ballot.

“Second, I’m the vice-chair of President Trump’s college sports committee and our goal was to help facilitate fixes to transfer portal, eligibility and NIL, which is being done,” the governor continued. “Why would I not want to see the work put into this issue bear fruit? It doesn’t preclude the Senate from passing the federal SAVE Act, which they should do.”

The Senate has failed to pass some version of this legislation at least five times, as Democrats in the upper chamber continue to block this effort. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has dubbed the bill “Jim Crow 2.0.”

“It’s a new week in Washington, but one thing remains the same: The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the United States Senate,” Schumer wrote on X in response to Trump’s request to cancel August recess to debate this bill. “It will not pass—not now, not ever.”