Thune Discusses Potential Path for SAVE America Act

In a recent conversation, Senate Minority Leader John Thune shared with the Post that Republicans might be on the verge of a workable plan to advance the SAVE America Act. He speculated about the significant words Sen. Lindsey Graham reportedly said to President Trump before his passing.

During an appearance on “Meet the Press,” Trump mentioned that in their final call, Graham stated, “We are ready for the SAVE America Act.” However, the president didn’t go into details.

Efforts by Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, which mandates proof of citizenship and various election reforms for voting, have repeatedly been thwarted by Democratic filibusters. This legislation is one of Trump’s key focuses this year.

“I can’t say for sure what Lindsey meant when he spoke to the president, but… perhaps there was a possibility to use reconciliation, and I think there might be a way to approach that,” Thune (R-SD) remarked in his interview.

Despite this, Thune made it clear that Republicans are “not even close” to gathering the necessary votes to overcome the filibuster, which requires at least 60 votes for passage. He emphasized that involving Democrats seems implausible.

Historically, Republicans have leveraged the budget reconciliation process—an intricate set of rules affecting the budget—to bypass filibusters and pass legislation, including significant bills in the past.

Several senators have been skeptical about the feasibility of using reconciliation for the SAVE America Act, considering it doesn’t significantly impact the budget. Nevertheless, Republicans plan to propose another reconciliation bill to bolster defense spending.

“It has to have a primary budgetary focus, not be purely policy-driven, and if the budgetary effect is secondary to the policy aim, that typically violates the standards,” Thune explained, hinting at the complexities involved. “I acknowledge that this can be somewhat subjective.”

Thune also mentioned discussions about encouraging states to implement photo ID requirements through economic incentives as a potential reconciliation strategy. “The way it’s designed is crucial,” he added.

Graham played a vital role in the reconciliation discussions when he chaired the Senate Budget Committee.

The impetus for the SAVE America Act largely stems from a 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down Arizona’s effort to enforce proof of citizenship for voters, determining that states can’t individually alter the national voter registration form.

The Supreme Court is expected to revisit a new Arizona initiative concerning proof of citizenship in its upcoming term.

On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee unveiled a budget resolution for the SAVE America Act, which will kickstart the reconciliation process once the bill is passed.

This proposed budget, totaling $95 billion, allocates $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion for agricultural assistance, and $10 billion to support aspects of the SAVE America Act.

However, the plan, dubbed Reconciliation 3.0, faces significant hurdles in Congress, especially given the skepticism from conservative members regarding deficit issues.

“I genuinely want to see this completed,” Thune stated regarding the SAVE America Act.