Four Senate Republicans joined Democrats to block President Donald Trump's SAVE America Act, an amendment requiring voter ID legislation. The amendment failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to be attached to a $70 billion budget reconciliation package.
Four Senate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), joined all Democrats to block President Donald Trump's SAVE America Act. This was the second attempt to attach the voter ID and election integrity legislation to a nearly $70 billion budget reconciliation package aimed at funding immigration enforcement. The amendment, proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), required at least 60 votes to pass, a threshold it failed to meet. Graham criticized Democrats for opposing the amendment, suggesting it would make cheating easier and questioning their stance on non-citizen voting and transgender issues. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) countered that current safeguards are effective, non-citizens cannot legally vote, and that the amendment mirrored previous attempts to control elections and ban vote-by-mail. He also condemned the timing of the amendment during Pride Month, calling it offensive. Despite the failure, Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) had initiated a talking filibuster to debate the bill. The outcome underscores the difficulty the SAVE America Act faces in the Senate due to unified Democratic opposition and a lack of complete support within the Republican caucus.
The failure of the SAVE America Act highlights the deep partisan divisions in the Senate and the challenges of passing election-related legislation, particularly when it lacks full Republican support.