Will Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) be the one to ensure the SAVE America Act passes? It’s certainly possible, given her most recent vote on the controversial election integrity bill.
The measure was passed in the House earlier this year, but has struggled to gain traction in the upper chamber. However, that could be changing, according to Fox News:
Senate Republicans have struggled to move the ball on President Donald Trump's voter ID and citizenship verification bill, but a late-night vote in the upper chamber breathed some life into an issue once thought dead.
During the Senate’s marathon "vote-a-rama" to advance the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement package, Republicans tried twice to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to the massive bill.
They failed both times, with a cohort of Republicans joining Senate Democrats to stymie the effort, which was destined to fail either way given that the amendments from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, had to break through the filibuster.
Graham’s attempt was to attach the modified version of the SAVE America Act, which included several policy additions, like barring men in women’s sports, that Trump demanded months ago.
Four Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voted against it. Their defections prevented the bill from even getting 50 votes, a prerequisite for success if Republicans were to launch a talking filibuster.
But Lee’s attempt did hit 50 votes, with Collins flipping her vote to support the original version of the SAVE America Act.
🚨 NO MORE GAMES: Mike Lee laid it out clearly: PASS THE SAVE ACT.
— Michael Carbonara (@MCarbonaraFL) June 9, 2026
There is NO more room for stalling. This country NEEDS this Act to be passed!
Show up to vote on August 18th to make SURE that Floridian elections REMAIN free and clear. pic.twitter.com/ZNmkWgLrAJ
Collins initially supported the SAVE America Act in February. But when Sen. Graham tried to get the measure passed by using an amendment to bundle it into a budget reconciliation/immigration funding package, she voted against it. The issue was that it was reportedly combined with other controversial elements in the broader package.
However, she had voted yes on a clean amendment put forth by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). Still, critics suggested she opposed Graham’s amendment because she is facing a tough reelection campaign. If Republicans hold a vote to nuke the filibuster to pass the measure, and Collins votes in favor of it, it will be a 50-50 tie, which means Vice President JD Vance would cast the deciding vote.
The SAVE America Act grew out of the original SAVE Act first introduced in May 2024 by Republican Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. If passed, the bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require everyone who registers to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. This can include a birth certificate, passport, or certificate of naturalization. It also requires a voter to show a photo ID when casting their votes.
The bill has languished in the Senate since February, with all Democrats opposing the proposed legislation and denying Republicans the 60 votes required to break the filibuster. President Donald Trump has been pressuring Senate Republicans to nuke the filibuster to pass the bill, reasoning that Democrats will do away with the procedure when they regain control of the upper chamber. Nevertheless, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pushed back, saying he does not have enough GOP support to get rid of the filibuster.
If Collins maintains her support for the bill, the remaining holdouts include Sens. Murkowski, Tillis, and McConnell.
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