Since earlier reporting on Public Citizen’s legal challenges to the Trump administration, new developments in Congress and the courts have expanded the scope of the ongoing conflict over voting rights and federal policy.

The U.S. Senate opened a debate on the Republican-backed “SAVE Act,” a proposal that would substantially restrict voter identification and registration requirements.

The measure passed an initial procedural vote in the Senate 51–48 and is expected to face a prolonged debate, though it may struggle to reach the 60 votes needed to advance to a final vote.

Reportedly, the bill would require proof of citizenship to register, government-issued photo identification to vote, and additional documentation for things such as a name change (including married women) and for mail-in ballots—changes critics warn could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.

Public Citizen, the non-profit citizen advocacy and watch dog group warned that the legislation could impose significant barriers to voting, particularly for people without immediate access to documents such as passports or birth certificates and even in the case of people who have voted for years.

The organization also raised concerns about provisions requiring states to submit voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security.

Arizona lawmakers also weighed in.

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, in a statement released by his office said, “The right to vote is sacred in this country—and I will not vote for anything that threatens it,” while warning that Americans should not have to “drive 4 to 5 hours” or incur additional costs to participate in elections.

In a March 17 video posted to X and shared from his official office Gallego further alleged that “federal agencies could use voter roll data to “purge millions of Americans from the voter registration list.”

Similarly, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly said in an official office statement that was shared on X the same day that the bill “will disenfranchise many Americans,” particularly seniors and others who may lack access to required documentation.

According to the League of Women Voters (LWV) the “SAVE Act” is a trick.

And the many hidden agendas are evident once the bill is dissected according to LWV.

The SAVE Act will negatively affect millions of Americans.

Every eligible voter could be unnecessarily burdened by the SAVE Act at some point when they update or change their voter registration information.

This includes:

Military Members: Service members would be required to present documentation every time they move and re-register to vote. Further, they would not be able to use their military ID alone to prove citizenship and would need additional documentation to show their birthplace or naturalization status.

Natural Disaster Survivors: Families impacted by natural disasters often lose important documentation. The SAVE Act would require them to jump through hoops to replace these documents and register to vote while also going through the traumatic process of rebuilding their lives.

Women, or anyone who has undergone a change of name. Americans who have changed their name for different reasons, and women such as married women or members of the trans community, would be required to secure specific documentation to register to vote.

There are an estimated 69 million American women who lack paperwork that reflects their current name.

The SAVE Act will disenfranchise millions of citizens from voting.

The SAVE Act has not passed the Senate as of March 24.

According to recent reports, the bill remains stalled or under debate in the Senate, with reports as of March 24 suggesting leadership may pause its consideration to focus on other legislative business, such as Homeland Security funding even though Trump late Sunday said there would be no deal to end the partial government shutdown until Democrats join with Republicans to pass the SAVE Act.

The debate is ongoing, with significant partisan disagreement over the constitutionality and necessity of the requirements.