Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pointing fingers at President Donald Trump, accusing him of rooting for a government shutdown in September to ram through the SAVE Act — a bill Democrats say would restrict voting access ahead of the 2026 midterms.

On Monday, Schumer took to X to lay out his case: "Donald Trump wants to shut down the government in September to force Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, rig the midterm elections, and disenfranchise millions of American citizens." He added, "If the government shuts down in September, remember one man was cheerleading for that outcome all along: Donald Trump."

The SAVE Act — short for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Supporters say it's needed to prevent non-citizens from voting, but critics argue it could disenfranchise eligible voters who lack easy access to such documents, like birth certificates or passports.

Last week, Trump tied the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and defense funding priorities to the SAVE Act's passage. He said he wouldn't sign the housing bill until Congress advanced the election legislation. "I will not sign the Housing Bill… in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT," Trump said. He also urged lawmakers to prioritize the SAVE Act alongside a $350 billion defense funding package.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has pushed for the SAVE Act to move through a third budget reconciliation bill, which would allow Republicans to bypass the Senate filibuster. Johnson said he discussed the strategy with Trump, and that reconciliation was the only viable path given Senate opposition.

Democratic leaders are pushing back hard. Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) warned Trump of "unlawful federal intrusion" into state election systems, arguing that voting oversight should remain with states. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also opposed the legislation, saying it would restrict voting access rather than strengthen election security. Kelly argued Trump supported the bill to preserve Republican control in Congress by making voting more difficult.

With the September funding deadline looming, the SAVE Act has become a central battleground. Whether it leads to a shutdown — as Schumer predicts — depends on whether Republicans can unify behind the bill and whether Democrats can block it. For now, both sides are digging in.