Senate Democrats have unified in complete opposition to the voter ID requirement in the SAVE America Act, an election security measure supported by nearly four-fifths of the American people.The U.S. Senate did not advance the SAVE America Act because a procedural vote to open debate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster.Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the only Republican to vote against opening debate.
The motion to invoke cloture received 51 votes in favor and 48 against.
Under Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to proceed. Without bipartisan support, the bill remains stalled.
The SAVE America Act — formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — is a top legislative priority for President Donald Trump and most Republicans.
The bill would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and mandate photo identification at the polls.
It also includes provisions restricting mail-in voting to specific circumstances, such as military service, illness, disability, or travel.
Republican supporters have described the legislation as essential to strengthening election integrity ahead of the midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has brought the bill to the floor despite acknowledging publicly that Republicans do not currently have the 60 votes needed for passage.
This is in part because Thune has lacked the political will to ‘nuke’ the zombie filibuster and move to a talking filibuster, despite acknowledging that Senate Democrats might do this very thing if they retake the Senate.
President Trump has framed the legislation as critical, calling it “one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress” and urging lawmakers to pass it before November’s elections.
Several conservative senators have warned that failure to act could dampen enthusiasm among Republican voters.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said there is a “very significant risk” that GOP base voters may disengage if the party does not demonstrate progress on election security.
Lee has argued that states conducting voter roll reviews have identified thousands of potentially ineligible registrations and questioned why some Democratic-led states have declined to share voter registration data with federal officials.
Democrats have strongly opposed the bill, arguing that documented instances of noncitizens voting in federal elections are rare and that the proposed requirements would disenfranchise eligible voters.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the measure “one of the most pernicious pieces of legislation” he has seen and argued that it would make voter registration more burdensome than obtaining certain firearms.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) pledged to block the legislation, saying Democrats were prepared to remain on the Senate floor “as long as necessary” to prevent its passage.
A conservative organization is ramping up pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, warning that the group could support a primary challenger against the South Dakota Republican if the Senate fails to pass the SAVE America Act.
Tyler Bowyer, a top official with the political arm of Turning Point USA founded by Charlie Kirk, said the organization is prepared to recruit or back a primary opponent if the voter ID legislation stalls in the Senate.
The development was first reported by The Daily Caller.
“America needs the Save America Act passed,” Bowyer told the Washington Examiner in a text message.
The warning follows a bruising political fight in Indiana, where several Republican state senators voted against Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional map.
In response, Turning Point Action and Club for Growth pledged to support primary challengers against the GOP lawmakers.
Six of the seven targeted Republican incumbents were defeated in their races.
Also, a number of other GOP incumbents have since lost their primaries after Trump endorsed their opponents.
Now, Turning Point Action is signaling the campaign may expand nationally.