Four Senate Republicans—Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, and Thom Tillis—again joined all Democrats to block an attempt to attach President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act to a budget reconciliation package tied to immigration enforcement. The e
On Thursday night, the voting math in the Senate didn’t budge—because four Republicans stepped away from their party again.
Senators Susan Collins of Maine. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joined all Democrats to stop another effort to pass President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act. It was the second time Republicans tried to hitch the voter ID and election integrity legislation to their budget reconciliation push—this time aimed at funding immigration enforcement.
The strategy was familiar: attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to a budget reconciliation package geared toward funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. But to clear the hurdle, an amendment introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., needed at least 60 votes.
It wasn’t close.
Once the threshold failed again, the political message became harder to ignore. Republicans have been unable to get the bill across the line. even after launching a quasi-floor takeover to debate the measure months ago. With unanimous Democratic resistance and no full buy-in from the Senate GOP. the upper chamber’s reality remained the same: SAVE America Act has little chance of passing.
Graham, R-S.C., didn’t let the moment pass without pushing his accusation toward Democrats. He challenged them to “bat down” the amendment while arguing they were avoiding voter ID out of election-related motives.
“There’s no other reason to say you don’t have to have an ID. It just makes cheating easier,” Graham said. “Who wants a noncitizen voting in our election if you’re against that, that makes me wonder.”
He added, “And biological males playing girls sports [is] not good for anybody, and a minor should not be allowed to transition their sex,” before saying, “This is what we say. What do you say?”
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., responded by pointing to the broader pattern of failure—specifically, how quickly Democrats had already managed to stop similar language.
“Just over a month ago, a similar proposal was defeated on a bipartisan basis,” Padilla said. “Current safeguards are working. And yes, it is already unlawful for non-citizens to vote in the United States. What this amendment does is mirrors earlier attempts to push through the president’s priorities. to try to take over elections. to ban vote by mail.”.
He also addressed the political tone surrounding the fight. “And while they’re at it, attacking trans folks during pride month, that’s pretty damn offensive,” Padilla continued.
The amendment’s rejection Thursday night didn’t just end one vote. It reinforced a bigger story playing out in the Senate—Republicans pressing again and again, and four of their own still unwilling to go all the way with the effort to attach SAVE to the immigration enforcement funding package.
For now, the SAVE America Act remains stalled, caught between a party leadership trying to move it through budget tactics and a chamber where Democratic opposition is unified and GOP support keeps falling short of the numbers needed to pass.
SAVE America Act voter ID election integrity Senate Republicans Democrats Lindsey Graham John Thune immigration enforcement Immigration and Customs Enforcement Border Patrol Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski Mitch McConnell Thom Tillis Alex Padilla