President Donald Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill are pushing a crucial election integrity bill that continues to be championed by the MAGA base. Although most Republicans have touted the legislation, the usual suspects in the Senate have been stubborn.
The SAVE America Act passed the House with unanimous Republican support on Wednesday, with even one Democrat voting in favor of the bill. The legislation would put in place the bare minimum requirements to safeguard federal elections by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote as well as photo ID to cast a ballot.
‘Federal overreach is not how we achieve this.’
Despite the overwhelming support from Republican constituents, several lawmakers in the Senate have refrained from backing the key legislation.
As of this writing, 49 of the 53 Senate Republicans have co-sponsored the SAVE America Act, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.), according to Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. Senate Republicans who have withheld their support so far include Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, all of whom have a history of bucking Trump.
RELATED: Lone Democrat joins all Republicans to pass landmark election integrity bill barring noncitizens from voting
Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Republican holdouts have argued the legislation is another case of government overreach that would federalize elections, while others have simply maintained a vague position on the bill.
“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed,” Murkowski said in a post on X. “Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that.”
Notably, Murkowski was the sole Republican who voted to advance the same 2021 voter reforms she referenced.
RELATED: Lone Republican defies Trump, votes to tank the SAVE Act
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“Once again, I do not support these efforts. Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska.”
“Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources,” Murkowski said in a post on X. “Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this.”
“I am looking at it,” Collins said Thursday. “The House made significant changes to it. … This is a work in progress.”
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