The Senate rejected a vote-a-rama amendment tied to the SAVE America Act after four Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing the voter ID and proof-of-citizenship measure.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Senate on Thursday evening rejected an amendment tied to the SAVE America Act, leaving the election integrity measure stalled despite repeated calls from President Donald Trump for its passage.
The amendment, offered by Sen. Lindsey Graham, failed 48-50 during the Senate’s vote-a-rama on the reconciliation package. The measure needed 60 votes to pass.
Four Republicans voted with Democrats to reject the amendment: Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine.
The vote showed that the SAVE America Act would likely still face difficulty even if the Senate filibuster were eliminated and legislation could pass with a simple majority. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and others had previously floated the possibility of moving the measure through reconciliation, which requires only 51 votes, but that route would need approval from the Senate parliamentarian.
The SAVE America Act is not considered a budgetary item, meaning the Senate parliamentarian would likely remove it from the reconciliation package under the chamber’s rules. That has left supporters arguing that the only realistic path would be to eliminate the filibuster and allow passage with 51 votes. Thursday’s vote, however, indicated Republicans did not have enough support within their own conference to pass the measure even under that threshold.
The vote was highlighted in a post on X as the amendment failed during the broader reconciliation debate.
Trump has repeatedly pressed the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and voter identification measures in federal elections.
“Requirement for Voter I.D. to vote should be something that NO American should oppose. If you want to register to vote in the United States, you have to be a citizen in the United States,” the White House previously said in a statement.
The White House has also promoted polling showing broad public support for the proposal. In a release, the administration said 71% of Americans support the SAVE America Act, including 69% of independents and half of rank-and-file Democrats.
The White House also said the poll found 81% support for requiring voter ID, including 79% of independents and 70% of Democrats. According to the same release, 80% of respondents said states should purge noncitizens from voter rolls, 75% supported proof of citizenship to vote and 61% supported sharing unredacted voting rolls with the Department of Homeland Security.
Supporters of the SAVE America Act have framed the measure as a safeguard for election integrity and citizenship-based voting requirements. Opponents rejected the Graham amendment during Thursday’s vote, preventing it from being added to the reconciliation package.
The failed vote leaves the SAVE America Act unresolved in the Senate, with supporters facing both procedural barriers and visible Republican defections.
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