Key GOP Senator Vows To Assist SAVE Act, Attracts Line On Filibuster
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has indicated that she will support the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE Act, after weeks of speculation. While the long-serving GOP moderate indicated that she will vote in favor of the bill, Collins emphasized that she is not in favor of tweaking the legislative filibuster process, which could provide a significant hurdle to the bill’s final passage.
Collins confirmed that she would be supporting the bill in a statement to the Maine Wire on Friday. Her endorsement was critical, as it brought the number of Republicans supporting the measure up to 50, which would allow them to pass it with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) previously announced that she will oppose the SAVE Act, while Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) — two vehement Trump critics who have already announced their respective retirements — have yet to endorse the bill after previously voicing support for voter ID.
Collins, a moderate Republican known for crossing party lines on key votes, had expressed hesitation about prior iterations of the SAVE Act. While speaking with reporters on February 11, she indicated that she was still reviewing the bill and was in favor of many provisions.
Her concerns centered on provisions in an earlier draft that would have required voters to present citizenship documents every time they cast a ballot, including on election day. “Requiring voters to produce passports or birth certificates on election day, as opposed to just a state-issued ID, would have placed an unnecessary burden on the voters,” she said, adding that amending that provision could gain her support.
Two days later, Collins announced that she would be supporting the bill and outlined her reasoning in a statement to the Maine Wire.
“The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections,” she said. “In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results.”
Thank you @SenatorCollins ! She just became the 50th senator to sign onto the SAVE AMERICA ACT! Go tell her thank you Patriots! pic.twitter.com/POjr7rib2v
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) February 13, 2026
Collins did, however, emphasis that she will not be in favor of tweaking the legislative filibuster in order to pass the SAVE Act. Elected Republicans, including President Trump, have called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to deploy an older Senate procedure known as the “standing” or “talking” filibuster to pass the bill.
The standing filibuster requires opposition members to physically filibuster planned legislation using speech and debate requirements in the chamber. This makes it distinct from the current “zombie” filibuster, which allows the minority to block legislation short of a 60-vote threshold.
Thune has promised a floor vote on the SAVE Act and has said discussions about deploying the standing filibuster are being had, though opposition from senators like Collins could prove decisive.
“I oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster,” she said. “The filibuster is an important protection for the rights of the minority party, that requires Senators to work together in the best interest of the country. Removing that protection would, for example, allow a future Congress controlled by Democrats to pass provisions on anything they want,” the senator added, listing Democrat policies like de facto open borders, D.C. statehood and more as potential examples of negative fallout.
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