American Progress

Bold ideas for a bold, progressive future—CAP's Path Forward series.

Don't have a passport? Tough luck. The SAVE Act basically requires one to register to vote — and 146 million Americans don't have one. The right to vote shouldn't cost $165 and a trip to the post office. #NoPayToVoteSaveAct

Requiring documents that cost money to obtain in order to register to vote is a poll tax by another name. Birth certificate replacements run $15-$50 per state. Married women, refugees, adoptees, and elderly citizens shouldn't pay to prove they belong in our democracy. The SAVE Act creates unconstitutional financial barriers to voting. #NoPayToVoteSaveAct

As we talk about affordability, we should also be thinking about wages. As in, how to raise them. Very excited to talk about this at this CAP event next week.

The SAVE Act would require Americans to drive, fly, or even take a ferry to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Alaskan Senator @lisamurkowski explains:

Get organized. Get active. We've seen the power of nonviolent protests here at home and across the globe. Find a #NoKings protest near you on Saturday, March 28th: nokings.org

As Trump's reckless war of choice in Iran continues on, Americans are seeing mortgage rates rise for the third straight week. New CAP analysis finds the rise in rates would cost a typical first-time homebuyer $22,680. ampr.gs/4lGn4SI

Trump's reckless war on Iran is costing lives abroad. It's also driving up prices at home, literally. The jump in mortgage rates resulting from the war will cost a typical first-time homebuyer today $22,680. From @amprog's Kyle Ross: americanprogress.org/article/trumps…

The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25/hour since 2009. While we tackle the many costs that make budgeting difficult, it is time to address the other side of the equation: raising wages. Join CAP on March 26 for an event featuring keynote speaker @arindube. ampr.gs/4dvAleW

The largest cuts to SNAP in history will likely lead to worse health outcomes for low-income families and preventable deaths across the country, and the law’s rushed implementation timeline will only worsen these effects. ampr.gs/4lAwfEi

Nearly every day of the second term, the Trump administration is making strategic choices that undermine U.S. power and create a more chaotic world. Use our tracker to see how Donald Trump’s second-term agenda is accelerating the breakdown of American power ⬇️ ampr.gs/3NptpFd

BIG NEWS: Virginia is one signature away from becoming the 14th state (plus D.C.) to guarantee the right to paid family and medical leave. CAP senior fellow @Molly_MWW explains:

The SAVE Act is irresponsible and dangerous legislation that threatens to disenfranchise millions of American citizens—Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike. #SAVEActTaxesVoting americanprogress.org/article/the-sa…

The passage of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill last summer made the largest cuts in SNAP history, leading to deadly consequences. New CAP analysis estimates that nearly 70,000 deaths could result from the expanded SNAP work requirements by 2040. ampr.gs/4lAwfEi

Neighborhood by neighborhood, nonviolent protests were successful in getting ICE agents out of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Feeling inspired to demand an end to the Trump administration's unjust actions? Join a #NoKings protest near you on Saturday, March 28.

.@ReverendWarnock: "This really is NOT a partisan issue." The SAVE Act would deny millions of Americans their constitutional right to vote.

Right now, the Administration is more focused on making it harder for Americans to vote than on bringing down costs. Their priorities are completely backwards.

"But you need an ID to drive, to drink, to buy a gun". Yes, but under the SAVE Act, these are not sufficient to vote. You need more "ID" than just that. The SAVE Act is not a "voter ID" law but a voter suppression law. If it were merely a voter ID law, it wouldn't be so controversial.

One aspect of the "SAVE America Act" that is deeply harmful and hasn't received enough attention is the fact that it makes it much harder for people impacted by natural disasters to vote. In recent years, flooding, wildfires, and tornadoes have devastated communities in places like North Carolina, California, Texas, and my state of Vermont. Millions of families have had their homes partially or completely destroyed, homes where they keep their most important documents. Under the SAVE America Act, you can't vote using a normal driver’s license. If your passport and your birth certificate were in your home when it was destroyed, you’re facing an entirely new barrier to vote. To register, you'd need to request a new birth certificate. Most states charge a cost to do this (a poll tax) and there's a wait to receive the certificate (three weeks in Texas, for example). A passport is $130, plus a $35 facility acceptance fee—not to mention more fees if you need it expedited. Then, even once you get your birth certificate or passport, the SAVE America Act requires that you physically go in person to register to vote, even if your state used to allow registration online or by mail. The SAVE America Act would take away the right to vote for folks who have already gone through so much emotional, financial, and even physical pain. It's a bill that would fundamentally harm to our democracy. We must defeat it.

Virginia is making a profound and critical investment in working families’ economic security, in the health of the commonwealth, and in a robust economy that supports small businesses with its new legislation guaranteeing paid family and medical leave. ampr.gs/3Ph0LHp

The SAVE Act would make registering to vote an added burden for U.S. service members and their families. Hear from U.S. Army veteran (@ArmyofNaveed):