Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Wednesday that Republicans should “turn our fire on the Democrats” over the SAVE America Act, as the chamber heads into its five-week August recess without passing the citizenship-verification voting bill.
“There are no Democrats who are going to vote for this,” Thune said. “All 47 voted against the SAVE Act five times, so let’s make this an issue in the campaign.”
The Senate has voted on the SAVE America Act five times and spent two weeks debating it on the floor before recessing. It failed each time. Thune said the bill lacks the 50 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.
“I’ve been very clear about the prospects for the SAVE America Act,” Thune said. “The only thing I’ve said all along is that we’ve voted on the SAVE America Act five times. It was the pending business on the floor of the Senate for two weeks.”
President Trump has pushed the Senate to cancel its August recess until the bill passes. “There is nothing more important than the SAVE America Act,” Trump said this week. “I think they should stay. They do what they want, but I think they should stay.”
The SAVE America Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. Lee, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), have pushed Senate GOP leadership to keep the chamber in session until it passes.
Thune rejected the idea. “I don’t think having a Congress sitting around here for the month of August and quorum calls or having to vote on Democrat amendments is probably a good use of anybody’s time,” he said.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said he isn’t ready to concede the bill is dead. “I know Sen. Thune says the votes aren’t there. I’m not saying he’s wrong. I’m just saying people change their mind sometimes,” Kennedy said.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) laid out a three-item to-do list for the Senate’s final week before recess: a continuing resolution to fund the government past Sept. 30, confirmation of more Trump nominees, and a $95 billion reconciliation package carrying election reforms drawn from the SAVE America Act.
Lankford warned against staying in Washington through the recess. “The worst case scenario is for us is to stay all the way through and then we lose the Senate in the days ahead,” he said. “Then President Trump is dealing with all the impeachment crazy all over again.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), one of the chamber’s most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection, said she has no plans to miss votes to stay in Washington. “I don’t miss votes,” Collins said, signaling she intends to campaign during the break regardless of the standoff.
