The Republican majority in the Senate rejected a GOP-led effort to attach key provisions of election integrity legislation sought by President Donald Trump to a measure to fund agencies of the Department of Homeland Security for years during an early Thursday morning vote.
Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all of them Trump nemeses, joined all Democrats in rejecting attaching a modified version of the SAVE America Act to a bill funding immigration enforcement, Fox News reported.
Their defection occurred during the Senate’s lengthy “vote-a-rama,” where lawmakers could propose votes on a wide range of amendments, regardless of their alignment with the main budget plan. The amendment failed with a vote of 48 to 50, highlighting what several Republicans had cautioned for weeks prior to their attempt to take control of the floor for the debate on the SAVE America Act last month — it lacked sufficient support within the GOP to pass, Fox noted.
It seems that the proposal faced significant challenges, even after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., initiated an oral filibuster to advance the measure with a simple majority of 50 votes. Nevertheless, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., advocated for his version of the SAVE America Act, threatening to delay the process until Thursday.
Kennedy acknowledged that his approach might not align with the strict Senate rules governing the reconciliation process, known as the Byrd Rule. However, he argued that critics of his actions “can’t predict the future.”
“I respect everybody in this body, everybody,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor. “If you vote against this bill, I’m not going to say a word. And I’m sure as hell not going to go on social media and call you an ignorant slut. That’s not the way I roll, unless I’m pushed too far.”
Had the proposal from Kennedy been adopted, it would have directed the Senate Rules Committee to draft legislation requiring voter ID for federal elections, limiting voting to Election Day, and mandating that ballots be counted within 36 hours. The plan also included a $10 billion cap for implementing those changes.
The Senate Rules Committee, chaired by McConnell, would have been responsible for developing the legislation.
Collins previously said she supports the broader SAVE America Act but did not back this version of the proposal. Murkowski and Tillis also expressed opposition following the Republican-led push to advance the measure. Tillis and McConnell are both retiring after the midterm elections.
President Trump has consistently advocated for the passage of the SAVE America Act. Last month, he pledged not to sign any other bills until it is approved and stated that he would not accept a diluted version.
Kennedy’s unsuccessful attempt occurs at a time when the discussion surrounding the SAVE America Act has lost focus in the Senate in recent weeks. The Senate floor has been largely dominated by the GOP’s reconciliation gamble, efforts to reauthorize the nation’s contentious surveillance powers, and the ongoing war in Iran.
Nevertheless, Republican leadership currently has no plans to conclude its takeover of the floor.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson and McConnell have come out in support of Trump’s action in Iran — even amid the president’s online statements threatening to practically wipe out Iran.
McConnell, when asked about Trump’s comments, said he supports Trump’s efforts in Iran.
“They’ve been at war with us for 47 years,” McConnell said. “They’ve killed Americans. They’ve killed Israelis. They’ve killed throughout the Middle East. They’re bad guys.”
McConnell said he doesn’t know how the conflict in Iran will end. However, he stated that the country’s capabilities have “significantly diminished.”
When Pope Leo XIV criticized the Iran war on Wednesday, Johnson used centuries-old Christian theological teachings to defend the Trump administration’s strikes against Tehran, calling them a “just war.”