BREAKING: It's Official. The Federalist Declares the SAVE America Act a Goner

Thank you Senator John Thune!

Profile shot from John Thune's Facebook Page

By Kristine Christlieb, MFEI News & Commentary Editor

May 14, 2026

It's what many in the Election Integrity Movement feared would happen. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) effectively killed The SAVE America Act on Tuesday when he announced on camera, "We don't have the votes," and The Federalist pronounced it dead on Wednesday.

He told reporters, "We're continuing to look for opportunities to advance that legislation," but it appears The Federalist doesn't believe him.

Introduced by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and championed in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, the SAVE America Act, as passed by the House on February 11 by a vote of 218-213, had three core requirements: proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, photo identification at the polls, and mandatory submission of state voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security for verification.

As the bill moved to the Senate, President Trump sought to expand it with additional priorities: restrictions on mail-in ballots, a ban on transgender athletes in women's sports, and protections for children from gender-affirming surgery, adding a new layer of complexity.

Here's the approximately 90-day timeline:

February 11: The House passes the SAVE America Act 218-213. Election integrity activists flood Senate offices with calls and letters. Signatures pile up on letters to Thune. The talking filibuster strategy is being organized. The path is narrow but real.

February 26: Thune quietly tells reporters the talking filibuster is a dead end.

February 27: Grassroots pressure reaches a peak.

February 28: The United States and Israel launch strikes on Iran.

March 17: The SAVE America Act reaches the Senate floor — two and a half weeks later.

What follows is weeks of floor debate, a two-week spring recess, and a failed attempt to attach the bill to a government funding measure. Four Republican senators — Tillis, Murkowski, Collins, and McConnell — vote against it.

May 12: Thune announces there is nothing more he can do. "We had a very spirited debate," he says. "I made more speeches on the floor in support of the SAVE Act than any other senator."

According to The Federalist, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said: "This is completely false and he knows it."

The bill that 80 percent of Americans supported is dead. The midterms are five months away.