President Donald Trump's push for the SAVE America Act, a bill aimed at securing election integrity, has gained a crucial ally in the form of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy, a Republican from California, expressed his support for the measure in a recent interview, indicating that Trump should continue to apply pressure on the Senate to pass it.
McCarthy's comments came after Trump's decision to cancel a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, which was seen as an attempt to pressure the Republican-controlled Senate to act on the election bill. The move took lawmakers by surprise, with some praising the bill's passage at a press conference before Trump's last-minute change of heart.
The election measure, which requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter identification requirements, has been a top priority for Trump. However, its momentum has slowed in the Senate, where Republican leadership claims there are not enough votes to pass the legislation. The Senate has also been reluctant to eliminate the legislative filibuster, which requires a 60-vote threshold to pass the bill.
Amid the SAVE standoff, a group of conservative lawmakers effectively shut down the House floor in an effort to force Senate action on the election bill. However, the Senate recessed for two weeks over the July 4 holiday, leaving the measure in limbo until lawmakers return.
The conservative-led blockade has sparked fierce backlash, with several members of the GOP conference warning that the move risks torpedoing their own legislative agenda. Meanwhile, the House has yet to pass a version of the legislation incorporating several of the president's priorities, including a mail-in voting crackdown and provisions banning men from competing in women's sports and child sex change procedures.
Trump now has 10 days to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bill that has been transmitted to the White House for his signature. If he does nothing, the legislation automatically becomes law at the end of the 10-day period. However, it's unclear whether Trump will sign the package, despite the likely existence of a veto-proof majority.
