SAVE America Act: Trump pushing to add ban on mail ballots

President Donald Trump urged Congress this week to pass a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill – one that must end Americans’ ability to vote by mail, adding that he won’t sign any other legislation into law until it’s passed. 

Here’s what to know: 

Trump pushes voting bill

The backstory:

Trump told House Republicans during their annual retreat at his golf club in Florida that he doesn't think they will win midterm elections unless voting laws are toughened up to prevent fraud.

The president wants to bolster the so-called SAVE America Act, which the House has already approved, and he pressed the Senate to push past its filibuster rules to send it to his desk. 

For context:

Senate Republicans have a narrow majority that falls short of the 60 votes they would need to overcome a filibuster. 

What is the SAVE America Act? 

Big picture view:

The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand. 

It was already approved in the House on a mostly party-line vote, 218-213.

Trump and Republicans say the bill is needed to prevent voter fraud. 

RELATED: SAVE Act: How voter registration would change under proposed bill

The other side:

Experts say voter fraud is extremely rare, and that very few noncitizens ever slip through the cracks. Those in opposition of the bill also say it would disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to vote. 

For example, millions of Americans who don’t have proof of citizenship readily available may be unable to register, and married women would need multiple documents to prove their citizenship if they have changed their name. 

What's next:

Trump wants Congress, which is narrowly controlled by the Republican Party, to build on the act with a new package which he called the "best of Trump." 

This would ban mail-in ballots, which are used by many states nationwide. 

Also of note:

The president also wants to tack on two unrelated provisions around transgender rights issues — one that would ban those born as men from playing in women’s sports and another to block sex reassignment surgeries on some minors.

Timeline:

It’s unclear when a vote could take place in the Senate on the SAVE America Act with the added proposals. 

Republican senators plan to discuss this week at their own private meetings how to move forward.

Meanwhile:

Congress is also facing a more immediate need to fund the Department of Homeland Security as airport workers and others are going without paychecks amid the fight in Congress over the agency's immigration and deportation operations.

RELATED: Travelers enduring hours-long delays at airports amid partial government shutdown

Banning mail-in ballots

Dig deeper:

The president believes mail-in ballots are fraudulent, but voting groups have long championed the practice as helping to make it easier for Americans to vote.

The other side:

Mail ballots are popular in many states and federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens, with scant evidence that noncitizens ever try to vote.