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3h ago

Senate Standoff on SAVE Act Intensifies After Trans Sports Ban Fails as Trump Links DHS Funding to Vote

The 60‑vote hurdle has turned the fight into roll‑call pressure tactics, with Trump tying Homeland Security funding to passage.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S.D., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Monday, March 23, 2026.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S.D., center, privately speaks to Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., ahead of a news conference on Capitol Hill on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Overview

  • The Senate voted 49–41 to reject a Republican amendment to bar transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, falling short of the 60 votes needed.
  • The House‑passed SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and photo ID to vote, but it remains stalled under the Senate filibuster.
  • Republicans are extending floor debate to force a series of amendment votes, with a standalone photo‑ID roll call expected as they seek to put Democrats on record.
  • Trump urged Republicans to withhold any Department of Homeland Security funding deal until the Senate approves the SAVE Act and pressed for eliminating the filibuster, warning GOP dissenters they could face political consequences.
  • A partial DHS funding lapse continues to strain TSA operations, and Trump has said he would deploy ICE agents to airports as leverage during the stalemate.