The Senate Republicans, along with Democrats, rejected a late-night attempt to attach a voter ID and citizenship verification provision to a Republican immigration funding bill.
Key Republican figures, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rep. Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Rep. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), voted against the modified version of the Protecting American Voter Eligibility Act early Thursday morning.
This occurred during a Senate marathon known as Vote-a-Rama, where lawmakers can push for votes on numerous amendments beyond the main budget discussion.
The proposed amendment, which lost 48-50, highlighted the divisions within the Republican party—a situation many had warned about in the weeks leading up to their discussions on the SAVE America Act.
Despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) invocation of an oral filibuster to move forward with a simple majority, the proposal appears dead.
However, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) continued to push his version of the SAVE America Act, even threatening to delay proceedings until the following Thursday.
Kennedy admitted that his plan might not align with the Senate rules regarding budget reconciliation, but critics of his actions stated that the future isn’t predictable.
“I respect everyone here,” Kennedy remarked on the Senate floor. “If you vote against this bill, I’m not going to criticize you publicly unless there’s a really good reason.”
Had Kennedy’s plan succeeded, it would have required voter ID for federal election registration and voting, restricted voting to Election Day only, and mandated that votes be counted within 36 hours post-election. The bill would also have limited the drafting and implementation costs to $10 billion.
Importantly, McConnell would have been responsible for enacting the bill due to his role as chair of the Senate Rules Committee.
While Collins had previously indicated support for the SAVE America Act, she opposed this current version. Meanwhile, Murkowski and Tillis have voiced their disapproval since discussions began.
President Trump has consistently called for the SAVE America Act to be passed, insisting he won’t promote any “watered down version.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), chair of the Senate Rules Committee, criticized Kennedy’s amendment as unnecessary. “We’ve been down this road before with the SAVE America Act, and even my Republican colleagues agree that Kennedy’s proposal is more extreme,” he said.
Despite Kennedy’s efforts, the discussion around the SAVE America Act has been sidelined recently as the Senate deals with multiple pressing issues, including controversial reauthorization of spying powers and broader national security concerns. Republican leaders do not plan to end the current legislative stalemate anytime soon.
