By Jim Thomas | Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 5:39 p.m. EDT
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) stated on Newsmax Saturday that he did not expect the SAVE America Act to pass the Senate that day, acknowledging the Republican-backed election bill remained short of the votes needed to advance.
Cassidy, appearing on “Saturday Agenda,” said the measure was effectively stalled even as Republicans continued pressing for it.
“I don’t think it passes today,” Cassidy said.
His comments followed a Senate vote on March 17 that split 51-48 to begin debate on the bill and Reuters reporting from March 18 that the legislation was likely to fail in the Senate due to Democratic opposition and Republicans’ lack of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, noted Republicans had addressed Democratic concerns, including those about married women whose identification might not match their current names.
“Now, if a woman changes her name and she goes to vote and her driver’s license says Smith but now it’s Jones, she can sign an affidavit stating she has changed her name,” he explained. “You don’t have to present a new ID with the name of Jones, your married name. You just sign the affidavit that you’ve gotten married.”
Cassidy argued these adjustments demonstrated Republicans’ efforts to accommodate Democratic concerns while preserving stronger election safeguards.
When asked whether the bill was essentially flat-lined, Cassidy responded: “Well, I suppose you could put it that way. Yes, but we’re still doing compressions,” acknowledging that Republicans remained focused on reviving the measure.
The Senate continued debating the legislation over the weekend.
On Saturday, senators also voted down a Republican amendment related to transgender athletes during a rare weekend session.
At the same time, the broader bill remained pending and without a clear path through the chamber.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
