FINALLY: Senate Votes To Begin Floor Debates On The SAVE ACT

It finally happened!

The Senate on late Tuesday afternoon voted to begin debates on the SAVE Act.

After a long standstill, the Senate, in a 51-48 vote, cleared a procedural hurdle to begin advancing the SAVE Act.

Surprisingly, Senator Mitch McConnell, who had previously been vocal in opposition to the bill, voted in favor of advancing debate on the voter integrity bill.

The Hill broke the news of the long-awaited move by the Senate and revealed what comes next:

The Senate voted Tuesday to begin a long and contentious debate over the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require people to show documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a photo ID when casting a ballot.

President Trump has called the measure his No. 1 legislative priority.

The Senate voted 51-48 to proceed to the bill, advancing the measure despite the opposition of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who said last week he would vote against proceeding to the bill, missed the vote. Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who has told GOP colleagues that he doesn’t support the bill, voted to begin debate as a courtesy to the Senate Republican leadership.

The vote sets the stage for Trump’s Senate allies to hold an extensive debate over the next week in an effort to build political momentum for the House-passed legislation, which Trump says will be critical to Republicans keeping control of Congress in the midterm election.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a leading proponent of the bill, has argued that a prolonged floor debate on the measure could build political support for the bill, similar to how senators mustered support for the 1964 Civil Rights Act during a two-month Senate floor debate.

🚨 BREAKING: The US Senate just voted to ADVANCE the SAVE America Act, 51-48

It's time for a TOTAL FLOOR TAKEOVER and Republican senators drawing out debate for DAYS!

Insane an 85-15 issue with the public can barely crack 50% in the Senate.

DON'T GIVE UP UNTIL IT'S LAW! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TBeuBPq6Vm

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 17, 2026

Fox News reported Senator John Thune is expected to propose a vote to end the debate on the SAVE Act:

At some point, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to file cloture to end debate, which would trigger a final vote requiring 60 votes to advance.

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Because Republicans do not have 60 votes, Democrats could ultimately block the legislation by refusing to support ending debate, meaning Tuesday’s vote does not guarantee the bill will pass the Senate.