Lindsey Graham's save act senate push failed Thursday night after four Senate Republicans joined all Democrats to block his amendment to a nearly $70 billion immigration enforcement funding package. The vote again stopped the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act from moving forward, this time in a budget reconciliation vehicle tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
Graham's Senate floor push
Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, introduced the amendment and told senators Democrats were against voter ID. On the floor, he said, "There's no other reason to say you don't have to have an ID. It just makes cheating easier," and, "Who wants a noncitizen voting in our election if you're against that, that makes me wonder."
He also broadened his case beyond elections, saying, "And biological males playing girls sports [is] not good for anybody, and a minor should not be allowed to transition their sex," and, "That's the biggest change you can make in your entire life. You shouldn't be allowed to do that as a minor."
Collins, Murkowski, McConnell, Tillis
Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joined every Democrat to defeat the amendment. That left the proposal short of the 60 votes it needed, even though Republicans were making a second attempt to attach the SAVE America Act to the same budget reconciliation package.
Alex Padilla said that "just over a month ago, a similar proposal was defeated on a bipartisan basis." His remark pointed to the same problem that showed up again Thursday night: the amendment could not hold together a coalition large enough to clear the Senate threshold.
Nearly $70 billion package
The amendment was tied to a nearly $70 billion package aimed at funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, giving Republicans a larger legislative vehicle for the voter ID measure. The maneuver did not change the count, and the vote failed after months of Republicans trying to advance the bill through the Senate floor process.
For supporters of the measure, the setback leaves the same arithmetic in place: Democrats are unanimously opposed, and enough Republicans are still unwilling to supply the votes needed to reach 60. That means the SAVE America Act remains blocked inside the Senate unless its backers can assemble a broader cross-party coalition than they did on Thursday night.
