UMVA has learned that a group of Senate Republicans made a bold move to block another attempt to pass President Donald Trump's key voter ID and election integrity legislation, dealing a significant blow to the GOP's efforts to push through the bill.
The unexpected rebellion, led by Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, and Thom Tillis, saw four Republican senators join forces with all Democrats to thwart the attempt to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to the budget reconciliation package.
This marks the second time Republicans have failed to get the legislation across the line, months after launching a quasi-floor takeover to debate the bill. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, required at least 60 votes to pass, but ultimately fell short.
The outcome has solidified the political reality in the upper chamber that the SAVE America Act has little chance of passing, given the unanimous Democratic resistance and lack of total buy-in among the Senate GOP. Despite this, Graham continued to challenge Democrats, accusing them of being "probably into cheating" in elections for not supporting voter ID.
Graham's comments sparked a heated response from Sen. Alex Padilla, who noted that a similar proposal was defeated on a bipartisan basis just over a month ago. Padilla argued that current safeguards are working and that the amendment was an attempt to push through the president's priorities and take over elections.
Padilla also took aim at the timing of the proposal, criticizing Republicans for attacking trans individuals during Pride Month. The senator's comments highlighted the deep divisions on the issue and the challenges ahead for Republicans seeking to push through the legislation.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the failed attempt to pass the SAVE America Act has significant implications for the GOP's efforts to fund immigration enforcement. The party's march to fund immigration enforcement has been dealt a major blow, with the focus now shifting to other key legislative priorities.
