Schumer Vows to Fight GOP Voter ID Push 'Tooth and Nail'

Senate Minority Leader says Democrats will block proposed proof of citizenship requirement to register to vote.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed that Senate Democrats will fight the latest GOP-backed effort to require proof of citizenship to vote, calling it an "outrageous proposal" that is politically motivated to suppress the votes of poor people and people of color. Schumer said Democrats "will not let it pass in the Senate" and are "fighting it tooth and nail."

Why it matters

The proposed Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and allow the Department of Homeland Security to pursue immigration cases if non-citizens are found on voter rolls. Schumer and most Senate Democrats have criticized the bill as voter suppression targeting poorer Americans and minority groups.

The details

Schumer's comments came after CNN's Jake Tapper noted that polling shows roughly 83% of Americans support some form of voter identification. However, Schumer argued that the SAVE Act would make it "so hard to get any kind of voter ID that more than 20 million legitimate people, mainly poorer people and people of color, will not be able to vote under this law." Without support from Senate Democrats, the bill is likely to fail in the Senate.

  • The SAVE Act passed the House last week and is expected to face a vote in the Senate.
  • Senate Democrats and the White House are currently negotiating funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since midnight Friday.

The players

Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader, a Democrat from New York.

Kristi Noem

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

John Fetterman

Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania.

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What they’re saying

“We will not let it pass in the Senate. We are fighting it tooth and nail. It's an outrageous proposal that is, you know, that shows the sort of political bias of the MAGA right. They don't want poor people to vote. They don't want people of color to vote because they often don't vote for them.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader (CNN)

“What they are proposing in this so-called SAVE Act is like Jim Crow 2.0. They make it so hard to get any kind of voter ID that more than 20 million legitimate people, mainly poorer people and people of color, will not be able to vote under this law.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader (CNN)

“Elections may be one of the most important things that we need to make sure we trust, is reliable, and that when it gets to Election Day that we've been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.”

— Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (1010wcsi.com)

What’s next

Without support from Senate Democrats, the SAVE Act is likely to fail in the Senate. The only way around that would be eliminating the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold, a move Republicans oppose, or forcing a so-called talking filibuster that could require hours of debate and stall other Senate business.

The takeaway

This battle over voter ID requirements highlights the ongoing partisan divide over election integrity and access to voting. While polls show broad public support for some form of voter ID, Democrats argue that the specific SAVE Act proposal would disproportionately disenfranchise poorer Americans and minorities, amounting to voter suppression. The outcome could have significant implications for future elections.