“We are protecting our breadsticks more than our ballots.”
Given the lack of progress in Congress on enacting the SAVE America Act, some observers in and out of government half-seriously propose or imply that the Olive Garden restaurant chain should take charge of America’s voting procedures — or at least should be emulated.
“Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Pass gives customers unlimited meals, but the restaurant requires passholders to present a valid photo ID matching the name printed on the pass when ordering,” Fox News explained.
“Olive Garden takes their Pasta Pass security more seriously than Democrats take election security. It’s sad but true,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the news outlet.
The 10,000 customers who signed up in time before the promotion maxed out qualify for unlimited pasta for 13 weeks.
The $100 pass is nontransferable, hence the requirement to produce an ID at Olive Garden, which quickly became a Republican talking point.
On X (formerly Twitter), influencer Robby Starbuck was among many other pundits and politicians who weighed in (as it were) on the Olive Garden policy above the policy itself:
“Olive Garden requires ID to use their never-ending pasta pass but most Democrat run states don’t require your ID to vote. So in America, our pasta deals are literally more secure than our elections. Maddening and hilarious at the same time.”
Club for Growth senior analyst Andrew Follett tweeted the following: “Put Olive Garden in charge of our elections in blue states. Dead serious.”
And Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita tweeted that “we really live in a nation where Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Pass is more secure than our elections! Make it make sense. Pass the SAVE America Act.”
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) appeared to possibly have metaphorical indigestion when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that President Trump was running out patience with the Senate’s lack of action on the anti-fraud SAVE America Act.
“Maybe [Leavitt] or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here,” The Hill reported the Senate Majority Leader as saying. “Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats. And if there are Republicans they think are gettable, get on the phone.”
This is hardly first time that President Trump has lamented the stalled progress on the election integrity bill.
The math is what it is, however: Four of the 53 GOP senators oppose the legislation as of now, as do all of the Democrats, in the upper chamber.
The bill has passed the Republican-controlled U.S. House over Democrat opposition.
Sen. Thune has shown no willingness to implement a parliamentary procedure known as the talking filibuster, which in the end would only require 51 votes to pave the way for an up-or-down vote.
Otherwise, Senate rules generally require a 60 vote super-majority to end debate on a bill and move forward to a vote.
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a former Olive Garden employee, quipped that “we are protecting our breadsticks more than our ballots,”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also alluded to Olive Garden in the video clip below:
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