Senate blocks SAVE Act rewrite targeting trans athletes

Senate Democrats on Saturday (March 21) blocked a Republican-backed amendment that would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ school sports, rejecting an effort to attach it to President Trump’s SAVE America Act.

The amendment failed by a vote of 49-41. Lawmakers remain deadlocked over the sweeping bill, which faces hurdles from unified Democratic opposition and the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.

The bill, previously passed by the House, would introduce stricter voter ID and citizenship proof requirements.

Read more: LGBTQ+ groups urge US Senate to reject Trump’s anti-transgender bill ‘SAVE America Act’

Voter groups have warned that proof of citizenship requirements could make it difficult to register to vote, especially those whose names on official documents have discrepancies.

Critics also note that documented cases of non-citizen voting remain extremely rare, raising questions about the scale of the problem the bill seeks to address.

As debate drags on, opponents say the bill is becoming a vehicle for pro-Trump lawmakers to introduce measures aimed at transgender people, including restrictions on sports participation, gender-affirming health care and legal recognition.

Republicans lack the votes to overcome a filibuster, and there is currently no clear path forward for the bill.

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