WASHINGTON, D.C. — A high-stakes showdown on Capitol Hill continues over a controversial voter ID and election security bill.
It’s day three — and counting — of what’s shaping up to be a marathon debate in the U.S. Senate. Senators are digging in over the “SAVE America Act” and some of the controversial additions President Donald Trump wants to see included in the bill.
“Who would not have voter I.D., who would not have proof of citizenship? The only people who would want not to have that are people that want to cheat,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
The SAVE America Act — a top priority for President Trump — would require voters to provide photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections. The measure cleared its first hurdle Tuesday with a 51-to-48 vote, allowing debate to begin, but the real fight is just getting started.
“Awful, despicable, un-American bill,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said about the SAVE America Act on Wednesday.
“You need to have proof of citizenship,” said Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. “The Senate is going to run through amendments. They’re going to basically construct their own Save America Act. If we can get something out of it… if we could get I.D., if we can get pieces of it, that’s a big step in the right direction.”
Republicans argue the legislation closes loopholes and prevents noncitizens from voting — even though such cases are already illegal and extremely rare.
Democrats are firing back this week, warning new requirements could block eligible voters from exercising their right. Without support from a handful of Senate Democrats, the bill is destined to fail. The only alternative is for Senate GOP leaders to “nuke the filibuster” — an unlikely option that could backfire on Republicans in the future.
“I voted NO because the SAVE Act would make it harder for law-abiding American citizens to vote, especially married women, seniors, and Americans in rural areas,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. “We need to make sure our elections are safe and secure. That doesn’t mean we should prevent Americans from exercising their Constitutional right to vote.”
“The IDs that we have in our wallets should be good enough to vote. They always have been. But that’s not what this bill says,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. “It’s just designed to make sure people can’t vote. And it’s disgraceful.”
President Trump is pushing hard, not only urging Senate leadership to get the bill across the finish line but also to tack on controversial additions to the legislation, including restrictions on mail-in voting.
“No mail in ballots. You know, corrupt mail in ballots. We’re the only country in the world that does it that way,” said President Trump. “No men in women sports … and no transgender mutilation of our children,” he added.
“The additional things about trans I don’t think have any place in this. I don’t understand why that’s introduced as a part of this conversation,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y. “I supported mail in balloting with applications. I don’t agree that raw ballots should ever be mailed out to people and just put out in the ethos. I think that’s an invitation for fraud.”
Debate on the SAVE Act was paused Wednesday, when a Democrat-led effort to require President Donald Trump to get congressional approval for future military action against Iran failed for the second time since the conflict with Iran began.
SAVE Act discussions are expected to carry into this weekend, and senators are expected to debate several amendments to the bill.
