House Push for the SAVE America Act

The Senate needs 60 votes for a reconciliation bill, but only 53 Republicans are present and the 7 Democrats are unlikely to support the measure. The Senate parliamentarian ruled the act ineligible for reconciliation. Sen. Thom Tillis called the measure “dead,” citing insufficient time to implement voter-ID rules before the November election. Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell opposed it, and Sen. Rick Scott noted GOP disagreement over mail-ballot restrictions.

The Hill

Democrats have denounced the SAVE America Act as “Jim Crow 2.0,” warning it would disenfranchise women, Black voters and college-age citizens. Rep. Mark Amodei argues absentee ballots are acceptable with “commonsensical safeguards.” Rep. Julie Fedorchak stresses that rural states depend on mail-in voting and favors limited reforms rather than a near-total ban. The debate reflects a partisan split over election-integrity measures.

Politico

Speaker Johnson said the president’s priority matches his and that reconciliation is the best route, adding there is “zero chance” Democrats will support the bill and noting that federal regulation of mail-in voting is difficult. Tillis called the effort “theater,” warned that voter-ID implementation lacks funding and clear instructions, and said the law cannot be enacted before the midterms; the parliamentarian’s ruling blocks reconciliation. Rep. Amodei and Rep. Fedorchak urged limited, structured absentee-ballot reforms. Senators Collins, Murkowski and McConnell opposed the bill, citing federal overreach.

Politico

• “The president has that as a top priority, and so do I,” — Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House

The Hill

• “Unless they do the work to get to the 60 votes, they know it’s dead, and so all this is theater,” — Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator (R-N.C.)

The Hill

• “maybe the most important of all, because it’s so corrupt.” — Donald Trump, President of the United States

Politico

• “Listen, absentee ballots are not a bad thing historically as long as you put some kind of structure on it,” — Mark Amodei, U.S. Representative (R-NV)

Politico

• “Add it to every must pass bill,” — Anna Paulina Luna, U.S. Representative (R-FL)

The Hill

Republican leaders are weighing another attachment of the SAVE America Act to a future budget-reconciliation bill or a must-pass measure, while some senators favor debating a slimmer version without the mail-ballot provisions. Success depends on securing enough GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold.

Politico