Trump: I'll Block All Other Bills Until SAVE Act Passes

President Trump is threatening a legislative freeze unless Congress delivers on a hard-line elections bill that goes well beyond what the House has already approved, NBC News reports. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said he "will not sign other Bills" until the SAVE America Act passes, "AND NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION." He demanded nationwide voter ID requirements, proof of citizenship to register, and sharply limited mail-in voting. He also insisted on add-ons that are not in the House bill: bans on transgender women competing in women's sports and on gender-affirming surgeries (which he referred to as "TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION") for minors.

The SAVE America Act, which would tighten voting rules even though noncitizen voting is already illegal and rare, faces steep odds in the Senate. Trump has floated shutting down the government over the measure, a threat that hangs over ongoing talks to end a partial Homeland Security funding lapse. The White House did not specifically respond to questions of whether Trump would sign a bill to end the partial shutdown if one is reached, the Hill reports. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has signaled Republicans lack the unity for the "talking filibuster" some conservatives want to force action. Democrats are firmly opposed: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill would strip voting rights from "tens of millions" and vowed that if Trump is drawing a red line, "there will be total gridlock in the Senate." Axios notes that if the president does not sign a bill within 10 days of it being presented to him, and Congress remains in session, it automatically becomes law.