HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 46 (Thursday, March 12, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 46 (Thursday, March 12, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S1018-S1024] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HOUSING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT SAVE America Act Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, later today, we will finish up the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the latest piece of legislation in Republican's affordability agenda. And next week, I will be bringing the SAVE America Act to the floor, and we will be having a full and robust debate. So what is the SAVE America Act? It is a package of commonsense policies--the kind of commonsense policies that should get an automatic ``yes'' vote from literally every Member of this body. At the core of the SAVE America Act is the requirement that individuals provide proof of citizenship to register to vote and then show an ID when they go to the polls. In other words, it would require Americans to demonstrate that they are eligible to vote and that they are who they say they are when they go to do so. Not to keep using the word ``commonsense,'' but it is pretty commonsense, right? We require a photo ID for a whole lot of things in this country, for obvious reasons. Getting on a plane? Show your official government-issued photo ID. Go to the doctor? The same thing, provide your government-issued photo ID plus your insurance card. Get hired for a new job? Provide your government-issued photo ID when you start. Public libraries ask for a photo ID. In New York City you have to provide some type of photo ID to get a library card. In Baltimore, MD, it is the same thing; in Washington, DC, again, photo ID. I will stop with the list of libraries, but I think we can all agree that if you have to show photo ID and prove where you live to get a library card, it is not too much to ask voters to show ID to vote in Federal elections. It takes about 10 seconds and protects the security of our elections. Americans overwhelmingly agree that voters should have to show ID at the polls. Eighty-three percent of Americans--83 percent--in an August 2025 poll supported requiring photo ID at the polls for all voters. That includes 71 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Black Americans, 77 percent of Asian Americans, and 82 percent of Hispanic Americans. It kind of feels like the only Americans not to support voter ID requirements are Democrats here in Congress. That is right. We are expecting continued, full-throated opposition to voter ID and the SAVE America Act from Senate Democrats, as well as more of the unforgiveable rhetoric that Democrats have already been engaging in. The Democrat leader has been calling this bill ``Jim Crow 2.0,'' a phrase that is not only deeply irresponsible and insulting for those who actually lived through that dark chapter in our history but also insults the overwhelming majority of Americans, including minorities, who look at voter ID and see nothing more than commonsense. In fact, I can really see only two reasons for Democrats opposing this legislation: Either Democrats are just reflexively opposing this proposal because it originated from Republicans, or Democrats believe that there are, in fact, people out there voting illegally; and that it is benefiting Democrats, and they want to keep it going. I honestly cannot think of another reason to oppose something so eminently reasonable as requiring people to demonstrate that they are eligible to vote and that they are who they say they are when they go to the polls. Now, I will have a lot more to say about the SAVE America Act next week, including about two other commonsense measures in the bill that would prevent biological males from competing in women's sports and protect minors from gender transition procedures--two other things, I should note, that are supported by the American people. I can't guarantee an outcome on this legislation, but I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record and that they will be forced to defend their outrageous positions on these issues and explain to the American people why common sense and the Democratic Party have parted ways. Republicans are looking forward to this debate, and I look forward to saying much more about the SAVE America Act in the very near future. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Recognition of the Minority Leader The Democratic leader is recognized. Department of Homeland Security Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yesterday, for the second time in less than a week, Republicans were given the opportunity to fund TSA and to also fund FEMA, to stand up for our Coast Guard, and to make sure core DHS operations are funded while negotiations on ICE and Border Patrol continue. And for the second time in less than a week, Republicans said no. Well, we are giving them another opportunity later this morning-- another opportunity to end their blockade of TSA. We are giving Republicans the opportunity to end their blockade of FEMA. We are giving Republicans the opportunity to end their blockade at CISA and to end their blockade at Coast Guard and much else. The bottom line is very simple. It is easy. You don't have to follow politics very closely to see it. Democrats are ready to fund TSA; Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund CISA; Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund FEMA and Coast Guard and most of DHS operations. We will give Republicans a chance--a chance--to say yes. We all know that we do not have agreement on how to deal with ICE. We know, very simply, that Democrats just want ICE to behave like any police department in America and use warrants and not wear masks, but we don't have to tie that disagreement up and use people at the airports and American citizens as hostages and say: We are not going to fund FEMA; we are not going to fund TSA unless you give in to our unreasonable and unpopular demands on reforming ICE. So we are going to offer these bills one at a time and see where our Republican colleagues go. We know the American people are on our side. We know that the only thing Republicans need to do is stay out of the way and these programs will be funded today and problems at the airports will go away. Mr. THUNE. Would the Democrat leader yield? Mr. SCHUMER. I will. Mr. THUNE. So I assume the Democrat leader is aware of the fact that we have tried repeatedly to fund everything temporarily to allow the negotiations over the ICE budget to continue. Mr. SCHUMER. I am well aware, but that hasn't worked. What can work-- Mr. THUNE. And the reason that hasn't-- Mr. SCHUMER. No, no. I-- Mr. THUNE. The reason that hasn't worked-- Mr. SCHUMER.--am not yielding back. Mr. THUNE.--is because the Democrats are blocking it. Mr. SCHUMER. The bottom line is, Democrats are ready today. America, watch. We will have Members on the floor saying ``Let's fund TSA'' with no other preconditions. What will Republicans do? They are going to see Republicans get up and block it. It is that simple. Now, my friend--sometimes--much of the time. My friend, the Republican leader, says: Well, we will only do it if you go along with what we want on ICE and what we want on Border Patrol--highly unpopular and wrong. So who is standing in the way, America? Look at it. We are not putting any preconditions on funding TSA. The Republicans are. And why? Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, will the Democratic leader-- Mr. SCHUMER. I will not yield. Mr. THUNE.--yield for a question? Mr. SCHUMER. No. In a minute. Why? Because Republicans are in obeisance to Donald Trump's insistence on having these marauding forces of ICE go through our cities. We saw what they did in Minneapolis. We saw what [[Page S1019]] they did in Los Angeles. We saw what they did in other places. Americans don't like it. Trump's numbers have suffered. And so it is simple: Don't attach preconditions, fund TSA, fund CISA. You will have that opportunity in a few hours. And if you get up and block it and say ``We will only do it unless,'' Americans will know who is to blame. I yield. Mr. THUNE. Well, I would say again to the Democrat leader that the Democrats have had multiple opportunities--and will have another one today--to provide funding for all of the Agencies that he just mentioned, under a continuing resolution, to allow us to consider how we are going to resolve the DHS issues that the Democrat leader has raised, which are being negotiated, I might add, at the moment between Democrats and Republicans and the White House. So there will be an attempt. The Democrats will have an opportunity to block--because they have now repeatedly--a continuing resolution that would fund all the Agencies to which you just alluded and allow us more time to negotiate. So those Agencies will be funded-- Mr. SCHUMER. Would my colleague-- Mr. THUNE.--if the Democrats don't block it. Mr. SCHUMER.--yield for a question? Will he support, without any Republican blocking it, a straight motion to just deal with TSA and get it funded while we are trying to work out these negotiations? Will he support that? No ands, ifs, or buts; no preconditions, no keep negotiating on ICE but just get it done. Will he support that? Mr. THUNE. I would support a resolution, which will be offered, to fund not just TSA but Coast Guard; Cybersecurity, CISA; FEMA; other Agencies and Departments of our government that are essential not only to national security and homeland security but to making sure that people can move through our airports in this country, that the FEMA-- Federal Emergency Management Agency--has the ability to respond to disasters. Those are things, I would say to my frien

Referenced legislation: HR6644, HR6644