Trump again presses US Congress on Voter Act Bill, says he will not sign other legislation

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on March 8 threatened to withhold his signature from any other legislation until Congress passes a Republican-backed voting Bill, the latest escalation in his push to impose stricter voter requirements ahead of the November midterm elections.

Mr Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, laid down a tough marker for the SAVE America Act, which passed the Republican-led House of Representatives in February but faces an uphill battle in the Senate, also controlled by Republicans.

The measure would need at least 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the chamber’s filibuster rules, meaning it needs Democratic support that currently appears unlikely.

“I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed,” wrote Mr Trump, who is spending the weekend at his Doral, Florida, golf club.

The SAVE America Bill would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and would impose criminal penalties on election officials who register anyone without the required documentation.

Mr Trump’s warning comes days after he threatened to bypass Congress entirely by issuing an executive order to unilaterally impose voter identification requirements if lawmakers fail to act.

He has previously attempted to impose similar voter eligibility rules through executive action. A federal judge in 2025 blocked parts of an executive order that sought to require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

The shifting tactics, floating executive action one week and vowing to block unrelated legislation the next, reflect Mr Trump’s effort to pressure Congress into adopting his preferred election rules.

Whether Mr Trump would follow through on his latest vow to not sign other legislation was unclear. If lawmakers pass a Bill and he takes no action for 10 days while Congress is in session, the measure becomes law without his signature.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has said he supports the voter eligibility legislation but has resisted calls from Mr Trump and some conservative activists to weaken the Senate’s filibuster rules to pass it, saying there is not enough support within the Republican conference to change the chamber’s 60-vote threshold.

Democratic Party leaders say the legislation attempts to suppress the vote and undermine their electoral chances at a time when they are favored by independent analysts to take control of the House.

Republicans have been jarred by a string of Democratic special election wins, and Mr Trump’s last two years in office could be complicated if Democrats have a majority in the House. REUTERS