Some Senate Republicans are considering linking President Donald Trump’s election legislation to a temporary spending measure, a strategy that could intensify partisan conflict as Congress approaches the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
A proposal requiring proof of citizenship for federal voter registration is becoming entangled with the approaching government funding deadline as Senate conservatives consider using a must-pass spending bill to advance President Donald Trump’s election agenda.
Several Republican senators aligned with Trump are open to attaching the SAVE America Act to a short-term continuing resolution needed to keep federal agencies operating beyond Sept. 30, The Hill reported.
The strategy would place the election legislation at the center of a government shutdown fight, potentially forcing lawmakers to choose between accepting the policy provisions or allowing federal funding to lapse.
The SAVE America Act would require applicants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and would strengthen voter identification requirements.
Trump elevated the issue during a nationally televised address Thursday night, urging Americans to pressure members of Congress to pass the legislation and arguing that additional election safeguards are urgently needed.
Incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he would support attaching the measure to a funding package if Republicans could assemble enough votes to approve it.
“If we could pass it, I’d be in favor of it,” Johnson told The Hill.
Johnson acknowledged that Democratic senators would likely reject a continuing resolution containing the election provisions. He nevertheless said he was willing to evaluate any legislative route capable of advancing Trump’s priority.
Republican strategist Brian Darling said placing the SAVE America Act inside a government funding measure could create a difficult political choice for Democrats.
Under that approach, Democratic lawmakers would have to accept the Republican election requirements or risk being blamed for blocking legislation necessary to prevent a shutdown.
The proposal does not have unanimous support within the Republican conference.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has opposed Trump on some issues, warned that attaching the legislation to the funding measure could prove counterproductive.
Tillis argued that election officials would not have enough time to implement the proposed requirements before the November election.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., has instead advocated passing a “clean” continuing resolution without additional policy provisions. That approach would temporarily fund the government while lawmakers continue work on the regular appropriations bills.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said Democrats would oppose any government funding package that includes the SAVE America Act.
Democratic resistance presents a significant obstacle because most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.
The dispute leaves Republican leaders balancing two objectives: advancing Trump’s election policies and ensuring that federal agencies do not shut down when existing funding expires.
Johnson could play an increasingly influential role in determining how Republicans proceed.
Following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Johnson is positioned to assume the chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee. That post would give him substantial authority over another possible budget reconciliation package, which Republicans may attempt to use to enact portions of the SAVE America Act, Politico reported.
Reconciliation allows certain budget-related legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes generally required for major bills.
Senate rules, however, restrict reconciliation measures to provisions that directly affect federal spending or revenue. Those limitations could prevent Republicans from including broad election administration requirements in such a package.
Johnson said his immediate priority is developing a plan capable of uniting Republican senators while continuing to advocate fiscal restraint.
The competing strategies illustrate the procedural challenges facing supporters of the SAVE America Act.
Attaching it to a continuing resolution could give the proposal leverage because Congress must act to prevent a shutdown. The same strategy could also make passage of the funding bill more difficult by hardening Democratic opposition and dividing Republicans who prefer to keep the two issues separate.
Supporters point to polling as evidence that the legislation’s central provisions are popular.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris survey cited by The Hill found that 71% of Americans supported the SAVE America Act and 81% favored voter identification requirements.
Polling support may shape Republican messaging during the funding debate, but it does not resolve questions about implementation, Senate procedure or whether all members of the party will support using a shutdown deadline to force action.
Congress now has only weeks to settle those disputes before the Sept. 30 expiration of current government funding.
The outcome will determine whether Republicans can use the fiscal deadline to advance Trump’s election agenda or whether leaders ultimately separate the SAVE America Act from legislation needed to keep the government open.
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