White House says Trump's SAVE Act threat not applicable to DHS funding

Source: USA Today

Updated March 9, 2026, 7:06 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's recent threat not to sign any legislation until Congress passes voting restrictions won't apply to ending the weekslong shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, according to a White House spokesperson.

Trump said the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act "MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE." The legislation would, among other things, require voters to prove their citizenship in person to register to vote in federal elections and bolster photo ID requirements.

"I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed," he wrote in a March 8 post on his social media platform Truth Social.

Trump then cast doubt that he was referring to the House-passed version of the legislation, saying he wouldn't support a "WATERED DOWN VERSION" of the bill and also wanted a near-total ban on mail-in voting.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/03/09/save-act-department-of-homeland-security-funding-trump/89070629007/