Senator from Vermont calls Save Act "solution in search of a problem," presses wealth tax and urges pause on AI

The senator identified in the transcript as the Senator from Vermont told colleagues on the Senate floor that the Save Act, which aims to prevent noncitizens from voting, addresses a problem that "does not exist." The senator cited studies and state reviews to argue instances of noncitizen voting are vanishingly rare and that the bill would create burdensome documentation requirements to register.

"We're debating a problem that does not exist," the Senator from Vermont said, pointing to research and state audits. The senator cited a Heritage Foundation review that, over a 24‑year period, found 77 confirmed instances of undocumented immigrants voting nationwide and singled out state reviews that found either zero or a tiny number of noncitizen registrations.

The senator said federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections and warned that the Save Act could nonetheless impose de facto identification requirements. "Under this bill, every American would be required to have a passport or a birth certificate in order to register to vote," the Senator from Vermont said, noting practical barriers: many married people use surnames that differ from their birth certificates, millions lack or have lost original documents, and passport fees (cited at $130 to renew and $165 for a new passport) and processing times could create significant hurdles.

Calling the proposal "nothing more than a modern day poll tax," the senator argued the measure would disproportionately affect low‑income voters and said the bill appears politically motivated, quoting an exchange the senator attributed to former President Trump saying that, if enacted, Republicans would "never lose a race for 50 years."

Shifting from election policy to economic priorities, the Senator from Vermont described a proposed wealth tax aimed at the nation's billionaires. The senator said the tax would target roughly 938 billionaires worth about $8.2 trillion and estimated a 5% levy on that wealth could raise approximately $4.4 trillion over 10 years. The senator proposed using the revenue for a mix of social investments, including a $3,000 direct payment for individuals (and $12,000 for a family of four) in households earning $150,000 or less, construction of 7,000,000 low‑income housing units, and measures to reduce homelessness.

On health and family supports, the senator said the revenue would expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision and hearing, provide home health care through Medicaid for seniors and people with disabilities, and reverse cuts the senator said would otherwise leave 15,000,000 Americans at risk of losing coverage. The senator also proposed universal child care, capping family costs at 7% of income, and called for raising minimum teacher pay to at least $60,000 to improve recruitment and retention in schools.

The senator closed by warning about the pace of artificial intelligence development. Listing several technology industry figures investing heavily in AI, the Senator from Vermont said Congress should "slow it down," warning that unchecked AI could lead to large‑scale job losses and, citing scientists' concerns, raise risks the technology could exceed human control.

After concluding remarks, the senator said, "Thank you, mister president," and yielded the floor. The transcript shows the senator from Ohio was then recognized and began to respond.