Voter ID standoff threatens progress of Trump-backed crypto bill

President Donald Trump has threatened to hold off on signing any legislation until the election bill is dealt with, a stance that could complicate the progress of crypto market structure legislation currently moving through the U.S. Senate.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Monday, Donald Trump stressed that the Save America Act is his top legislative priority, claiming its approval would ensure Republican success in the upcoming elections. He went on to say that Democrats likely won’t secure an election victory for the next half-century, possibly even longer, once the bill is passed.

At a conference of congressional Republicans in Florida, he further asserted, in regards to the bill, “I’m willing to just sort of say I’m not going to sign anything until this is approved.”

His remarks reaffirmed what he said the day before: “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, an 88% issue with ALL VOTERS. It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed.”

The SAVE Act includes restrictions on transgender athletes in women’s sports 

Trump, at the conference, however, noted that the Senate may prove to be a tough battleground for the revised Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which already passed the House. The proposal, he said, already faces opposition from at least 4 or 5 Republican lawmakers. The bill needs at least 60 votes to advance.

Besides, beyond its provisions on voter eligibility, the measure would also include restrictions on transgender athletes in women’s sports and gender-affirming surgery for children, which some lawmakers and members of the public are highly opposed to. Nonetheless, Trump and his team are still pushing for the transgender restrictions. On Sunday, on his Truth social platform, he stated, “NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS: NO TRANSGENDER MUTILATION FOR CHILDREN! DO NOT FAIL!!!”

Last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had also insisted that they would oppose gender-affirming procedures for minors and reject the participation of men in women’s sports. 

Overall, the bill would also institute additional voter requirements: to register to vote, one would need to show documents proving U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, and a voter ID would be required to cast a ballot. It would also stop states from adding voters without proper documentation, require checks to ensure voter rolls include only citizens, and permit private lawsuits against officials who register voters lacking proof of citizenship.

So far, Democrats in the Senate have pledged to block the legislation, claiming it is designed to restrict voter access under the guise of preventing election fraud. Senator Chuck Schumer even labeled the proposal “Jim Crow 2.0,” drawing a direct comparison to the racial segregation laws that disenfranchised Black voters. He added that Trump limiting signatures to only the voting bill would create a total standstill in the Senate.

Voting rights supporters also warn that the bill would effectively bar millions from casting ballots, noting that only half of Americans have valid passports and other documents, such as birth certificates, that might not match their names.

President Trump showed support for the CLARITY Act

The crypto sector’s top legislative goal, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, has seen major support from the U.S. president. However, his insistence on not signing other legislation until the voter-ID measure advances threatens to stall the digital assets push, which is awaiting approval from the Senate Banking Committee.

Negotiations on the market structure legislation have repeatedly stalled, with the most recent impasse arising from disagreements over how stablecoin yields should be handled. Nonetheless, crypto insiders still believe that sufficient common ground can be found this week for it to progress through the committee.

Crypto leaders are also questioning the seriousness of the president’s vow to withhold his signature, even for the digital asset bill that he demanded be quickly finalized. The Clarity Act will test whether he can drive the SAVE bill through while still accomplishing his crypto goals.

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