Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is facing accusations of hypocrisy after threatening to block Republican legislation aimed at ensuring only U.S. citizens vote in American elections.
The bill in question, Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, would require proof of citizenship during the voter registration process. Schumer announced his intention to filibuster the bill if Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune brings it to the floor. This stance has drawn criticism, given Schumer’s past efforts to weaken the filibuster.
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“Trump and Congressional Republicans are escalating their assault on American democracy through the noxious SAVE Act,” Schumer wrote on X. “Congressional Republicans are pushing a proposal that would coerce states into instituting policies that would effectively prevent millions of American citizens from voting, stymie automatic voter registration and derail in-person voter registration drives. It is an outrage.”
“Let me be clear: Under my leadership, Senate Democrats will make sure this power grab does not pass the Senate,” Schumer continued.
The article highlights the irony of Schumer’s position, noting that former Democratic Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama have previously criticized the filibuster, comparing it to a “relic of the Jim Crow Era.”
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It also recalls Schumer’s own attempts to alter the filibuster in January 2022 when he sought to eliminate the 60-vote threshold for “voting rights” legislation. That effort failed due to opposition from then-Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who were heavily criticized by their Democratic colleagues for their stance.
Former Senator Sinema has publicly pointed out the perceived hypocrisy of Democrats’ shifting positions on the filibuster. “Yes dear the hypocrisy is the point,” she tweeted in response to criticism of Democrats’ use of the procedural rule.
The SAVE Act aims to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order, which sought to strengthen voter citizenship requirements by mandating “documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms.”
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The bill previously passed the House in July 2024, with some Democratic support, but stalled in the Senate due to Schumer’s inaction. House Republicans are expected to bring the bill back to the floor for another vote.
GOP lawmakers have defended the legislation, arguing that it’s a reasonable measure to protect election integrity. “We’re just saying we’re going to ask people to simply show up and demonstrate their citizenship and so we can ensure that only American citizens vote in American elections,” Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy told Fox News.
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