Schumer Blocks SAVE Act, Calls it “Jim Crow” Law

This week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer halted a bill known as the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), arguing that it resembled racist “Jim Crow” laws. His remarks drew attention on social media, with many echoing claims about the Georgia voting law that supposedly spurred record black voter turnout.

Schumer opposed a Republican initiative to include the SAVE Act in the current spending package under discussion in Congress. This proposed law would require states to confirm proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration and remove noncitizens from voter registration lists.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The SAVE Act imposes Jim Crow-style laws on the entire country,” Schumer stated. “Once it reaches the Senate, it’s rendered ineffective. This is a poisonous pill that undermines every existing law… The SAVE Act brings back Jim Crow-era policies for all Americans. Republicans want to revive Jim Crow; that’s simply not going to happen.”

On social media, many noted that Schumer had previously labeled Georgia’s Election Integrity Act as “Jim Crow 2.0,” yet this legislation was followed by significant black turnout in the state’s 2022 elections.

AG Hamilton, a commentator, remarked, “Mr. Schumer used the same terminology for the Georgia law, which uncontroversially expanded voter access in 2022. It’s incredibly misleading to equate all voting laws with Jim Crow reforms.”

Notably, several prominent Democrats, including President Joe Biden and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, have described Georgia’s voting law as “Jim Crow 2.0.” Amid public pressure, Major League Baseball even withdrew the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta.

Interestingly, according to the Georgia Secretary of State, the law in question did not suppress voter turnout. Instead, it reportedly increased participation, especially among minority voters.

Jason Sneed, the executive director of the Honest Election Project, criticized Schumer’s rhetoric, saying, “Chuck Schumer sounds like a broken record. When Georgia passed its voting law in 2021, he labeled it ‘Jim Crow,’ despite the fact that turnout skyrocketed in 2022.”

Sneed referenced a University of Georgia poll after the 2022 elections, which indicated that no Black respondents reported a negative voting experience.

He added, “The reason Mr. Schumer is now using the same smear against the SAVE Act is that he lacks any legitimate justification to oppose a law that guarantees only Americans can vote—a law supported by over 80% of Americans. His slander was false then, and it remains false now.”

Sneed concluded, “Schumer and the Democrats are attempting to manipulate electoral regulations by promoting a failed California-style election law that would create chaos and fraud. That isn’t what Americans want.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Schumer’s office for further comment.