❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) rejected the GOP-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) Act, comparing it to Jim Crow, despite overwhelming public support for voter ID laws.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chuck Schumer, Democratic voters, Republican lawmakers, and President Donald J. Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Schumer made the comments on Thursday during an appearance on MS NOW.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It will not pass the Senate. You will not get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. We’re not reviving Jim Crow all over the country.” – Chuck Schumer
🎯IMPACT: The SAVE Act faces strong opposition from Senate Democrats, despite overwhelming voter support for voter ID.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said February 5 he was surprised to learn that a huge majority of Democratic voters support nationwide voter ID requirements, but insisted that he will oppose Republican efforts to enact such laws regardless. During an interview, Schumer was presented with data showing that around 71 percent of Democrat voters back voter ID rules.
The Senate Minority Leader argued that the measures are designed to limit access to the ballot rather than protect elections. “It’s Jim Crow 2.0,” he claimed, adding: “What they’re trying to do here is the same thing that was done in the South for decades: to prevent people of color from voting,” he said. “If you can’t find a proper ID, you will be discriminated against. This is vicious and nasty.”
The comments came as Republicans push the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. Under the bill, acceptable documentation would include REAL-ID-compliant identification, a passport, or a birth certificate. The legislation would also bar states from registering voters without proper identification. Schumer vowed that Democrats will block the bill in the Senate, saying, “It will not pass the Senate. You will not get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. We’re not reviving Jim Crow all over the country.”
Despite opposition from Democratic leaders, voter ID laws continue to draw broad public support. Polling has consistently shown that Americans want photo identification requirements, along with other election measures such as paper ballots, early voting options, and making Election Day a national holiday. Support for voter ID crosses party lines among the general public, with massive majorities of Republicans, independents, and even Democrats backing the policy.
President Donald J. Trump has long promoted voter ID as a way to secure elections and made it a central issue in his 2024 campaign. Republicans in Congress and state legislatures are also pressing for proof-of-citizenship and voter ID laws, arguing they are necessary to protect election integrity and public confidence in elections.
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