Senate rejects SAVE America Act as 4 Republicans join Democrats in opposition

The Senate on June 4 rejected another Republican attempt to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a bill aimed at tightening voter registration and election security requirements, to an immigration funding package.

The amendment, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., failed in a 48-50 procedural vote, short of the 60 votes it needed to advance. Four Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — joined Democrats in opposing the measure. Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, did not vote.

The votes came during an overnight Senate vote-a-rama on a nearly $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that will fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years. Senators considered a series of amendments from June 4 into the early hours of June 5.

The SAVE America Act would have required voters to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — for federal voter registration and would have imposed stricter rules on mail-in voting. The vote marked Republicans’ second attempt to attach the legislation to their reconciliation bill, FOX News reported.

Early June 5, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, forced a second procedural vote on an amendment to directly attach the House-passed version of the SAVE America Act to the funding package. The amendment again fell short of the 60 votes required in a 50-49 vote, with McConnell, Murkowski, and Tillis voting no. 

Supporters, including President Donald Trump, have argued the SAVE America Act would safeguard election integrity against noncitizen voting. Trump urged the Senate to pass the legislation ahead of the vote on June 4, saying it would require all voters to show photo ID and proof of citizenship and eliminate mail-in ballots. 

Opponents, however, have argued the measure would create an unnecessary barrier to voting that could suppress turnout among citizens who don’t have easy access to the required documents. 

The SAVE America Act amendments needed 60 votes because senators had to waive budget rules to add them to the reconciliation bill. Budget reconciliation allows certain spending and tax measures to pass with a simple majority, but provisions must have a direct budgetary effect to qualify. Because the SAVE America Act centers on voter registration and election rules, Republicans needed additional support to attach it to the immigration funding package.

The Senate later passed the immigration bill early June 5 in a 52-47 vote. Murkowski was the lone Republican to vote against it, and no Democrats voted for the bill. The bill now heads to the House, where AP News reported lawmakers are expected to take it up next week.