American Senate begins debate on project that aims to change American elections, which could already be valid for this year

Woman votes in the 2024 US presidential election at the Pittsburgh Manchester school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (5/11) Quinn Glabicki/Reuters This Tuesday (17), Republicans begin a debate in the United States Senate on an electoral bill that could last for days or even weeks, even with no chance of approval. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The strategy seeks to attract public attention to proposals that tighten voter registration rules, amid pressure from President Donald Trump ahead of the November legislative elections. The so-called “speech marathon,” which begins now, could last a week or more as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-Ky.) tries to balance Trump’s demands with the Democrats’ unified opposition. Trump has been pushing to end the legislative filibuster — a mechanism that requires 60 votes to advance projects — but Thune says he doesn’t have enough support for that. Without the necessary votes, Republicans intend to make a prolonged show of support for the project. The proposal requires voters to prove American citizenship when registering and present identification to vote. Trump has already indicated that he may block other laws until the text is approved. See the videos that are trending on g1 The final vote must fail. Republicans have 53 seats in the Senate, but need 60 votes to advance. All 45 Democrats and two independents, who vote with the party, are against the measure. Even so, Thune claims that the debate will serve to “put Democrats on record.” On social media, Trump threatened not to support Republicans who vote against the project. “Only sick, demented or unbalanced people in the House or Senate could vote against the Save America Act,” he said in a post on his social network, Truth Social. “Voter identification, proof of citizenship, end fraudulent voting by mail (we are the only country in the world that allows this!)”, he listed. The text, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), is part of a broader agenda defended by Trump to expand federal control over elections. Among the measures are stricter requirements for proof of citizenship and new penalties for election officials. The project also calls for sharing voter data with the Department of Homeland Security to identify undocumented people. Trump also wants to include a ban on most mail-in votes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters after a weekly Republican luncheon. AP/José Luis Magana Democrats and civil rights organizations criticize the proposal and claim that there is no evidence of significant participation of non-citizens in the elections. For them, the new rules could exclude millions of voters by making it difficult to access the required documents. “There is no new problem to be solved,” said Janai Nelson, president of a civil rights organization. The Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, stated that the measure could remove voters from the lists before they even vote. The dispute also involves the form of the debate. Trump and allies advocated a traditional filibuster, with continuous speeches to delay votes. The Republican leadership rejected the idea and chose to occupy the plenary with their own speeches, outside the usual time limits. Democrats must react with regimental maneuvers, which could force senators to appear in the plenary at different times for votes. The scenario is still uncertain, according to Republican allies, and should evolve over the next few days. MORE The opposition, however, stated that the measure imposes unnecessary burdens on voters and concentrates electoral power in the hands of President Donald Trump. The bill requires proof of citizenship when registering for elections and provides criminal penalties for officials who register people without the required documentation. The midterm elections, also known as “midterms”, will be held on November 3. The Americans will renew the entire House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Currently, Trump’s Republican Party controls both Houses of Congress. Polls indicate that the opposition Democratic Party could gain strength in the race. The proposal is the latest version of an initiative that emerged in the 2024 presidential campaign, driven by Trump’s false claims that large numbers of undocumented immigrants had voted in federal elections. A similar measure had already been approved twice by the Chamber — last April and in 2024 — but was rejected in the Senate. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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