As Republicans advance plans to fund immigration enforcement, four Senate Republicans have sided with Democrats to block renewed efforts on President Donald Trump’s voter ID and election integrity legislation.
Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Tom Tillis (R-Ky.) joined Democrats in rejecting the move once again.
This marks the second time the Protect American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) has been included in a budget reconciliation bill, and, once again, it failed to pass even after several months of consideration.
Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) amendment required at least 60 votes for the bill’s inclusion in a proposed $70 billion reconciliation package intended for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Protection funding.
This threshold proved too steep on Thursday night, reinforcing the reality that the SAVE America Act is unlikely to succeed, particularly given the unanimous opposition from Democrats and limited support among Senate Republicans. Even the anticipated invocation of the filibuster by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) seems insufficient.
Despite this setback, Graham accused Democrats of “possibly committing fraud” for not backing the voter ID measure. He stated, “There’s no other reason you’d oppose ID; it just makes fraud easier.” He added, “I question who would want non-citizens to vote in our elections.”
In an unrelated comment, he mentioned that allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports is problematic, insisting minors shouldn’t be able to change their gender, which he believes is a irreversible decision.
Senate Democrats countered this by noting that a similar proposal had failed recently with bipartisan support. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) highlighted that existing safety measures are effective, reaffirming that it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in the U.S. He described the amendment as a repeat of previous attempts to advance the president’s agenda while also criticizing the timing of attacks on transgender individuals during Pride Month.
