President Donald Trump has said he will withhold his signature from other legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which would impose nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirements in order to register to vote.

“It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE,” Trump wrote in a March 8 post on Truth Social. “I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed.”

The measure—formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act—would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It would also require voters to present valid photo identification at the polls or submit a copy of an ID when voting by mail.

The House passed the bill last month, but it is short of the 60-vote majority needed to avoid a filibuster in the Senate. Republicans, who hold a 53–47 majority in the upper chamber, would need support from Democrats, who oppose the package.

Trump’s ultimatum could add renewed pressure on Senate Republicans to consider procedural workarounds.

Some Republicans have called for changing the filibuster rules to give the voter ID bill a path to passage, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has cautioned that there is not a strong enough Republican consensus to make such changes to the system.

In the same Truth Social post, Trump also urged Congress to send him a stronger bill instead of what he called “THE WATERED DOWN VERSION.” He said it should include provisions limiting eligibility for voting by mail to military service members, as well as to voters who are ill, have disabilities, or are traveling abroad.

Trump’s pledge to withhold his signature from other bills comes as lawmakers remain deadlocked over other high-stakes legislation, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS has been operating under a partial shutdown after its funding lapsed in mid-February, forcing many employees, including TSA screeners, to work without pay and contributing to major airport delays as absenteeism rises.

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party have pushed to attach limits on immigration enforcement tactics, including proposals to bar federal agents from wearing masks, require them to display identification, and restrict where arrests can be made. Republicans have said that Democrats are jeopardizing public safety by tying DHS funding to those policy demands.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Trump’s threat would not change that stance.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) looks over a note before speaking to reporters following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate,” Schumer wrote in a post on X. “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

Trump could veto any bills sent to him or send them back to Congress, where lawmakers can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

If Congress adjourns during the 10-day period after legislation is sent to the president, he can prevent it from becoming law by leaving it unsigned for 10 days, excluding Sundays, a practice known as a “pocket veto.”

If Congress remains in session, a bill that sits unsigned for 10 days automatically becomes law without the president’s signature, unless the president issues a formal veto.