Chuck Schumer ‘fighting tooth and nail’ to block GOP voter ID bill: 'We will not let it pass’

WASHINGTON, DC: Chuck Schumer said Senate Democrats plan to block a Republican-backed measure that would require proof of citizenship (ID) to vote. He argued that the push reflects the “sort of political bias of the MAGA right.” He said, "We will not let it pass in the Senate."

He also compared the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to “Jim Crow 2.0.” Schumer made the statement after Republicans pushed for the bill’s passage.

On the other hand, polling shows that 83 percent favor some form of voter ID in elections. Despite surveys indicating strong public support for identification requirements, he continues to oppose the SAVE America Act. 

Chuck Schumer attacks SAVE Act, rejects voter ID push

Chuck Schumer told CNN's Jake Tapper that Senate Democrats intend to aggressively oppose the Republican-backed voter ID effort and criticized any role for federal immigration agents in election settings.

"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."

He compared the legislation to past voter suppression, saying, "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."

Schumer responded after being asked about polls showing that about 83 percent of Americans support voter ID. A Pew Research poll last year also found that 71 percent of Democrats surveyed support showing ID when voting.

Even so, Schumer and many Senate Democrats continue to oppose the SAVE America Act, which cleared the House and is expected to come up for a Senate vote. Democrats involved in negotiations are also pushing to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers away from locations such as schools and polling sites.

"That's a load of bull," Schumer said. "They show no evidence of voter fraud. They show there's so little in the country. And to have ICE agents, these thugs, be by the polling places, that just flies in the face of how democracy works, of how we've had elections for hundreds of years, very successfully."

SAVE Act faces Senate roadblock amid Democrat opposition

The SAVE Act bill would require individuals to prove they are citizens when registering to vote. It would also allow state election officials to work with federal agencies to double-check voter rolls. If a noncitizen is found to be registered, the Department of Homeland Security could initiate an immigration case.

The bill is likely to struggle in the Senate without Democratic support. Most Senate Democrats oppose it, except John Fetterman. The only way it could move forward would be by ending the Senate’s 60-vote rule, which Republicans oppose.