Four Republican senators joined Democrats on Wednesday to block an effort to attach election-security provisions from the SAVE Act to a major immigration funding package, dealing another setback to one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related priorities.
The amendment, offered by Lindsey Graham, would have added key elements of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to a nearly $70 billion budget reconciliation package focused on immigration enforcement and border security funding.
Among the provisions sought by supporters were requirements that individuals provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, along with additional election-security measures such as voter identification requirements.
The proposal failed after it was unable to secure enough support to overcome Senate procedural hurdles.
Joining all Senate Democrats in opposition were four Republican senators: Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell.
The vote marked the second time in recent months that the same group of Republican senators opposed efforts to advance SAVE Act language through the reconciliation process. Earlier this year, the quartet also voted against attaching similar provisions during debate on a budget resolution.
Supporters of the amendment argued that incorporating the SAVE Act into a reconciliation package would provide a viable path around Senate filibuster rules that have stalled the legislation as a standalone bill.
Under Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to end debate and move toward final passage. Budget reconciliation is one of the few procedures that allows certain fiscal measures to pass with a simple majority vote.
Republicans have increasingly looked to reconciliation as a potential vehicle for advancing policy priorities that would otherwise struggle to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.
The House has previously passed versions of the SAVE Act with broad Republican support.
However, the measure has faced strong opposition from Democrats, who argue that existing federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections and that additional documentation requirements could create barriers for eligible voters, per Trending Politics.
Supporters counter that requiring documentary proof of citizenship would strengthen public confidence in elections and help prevent ineligible individuals from registering.
The four Republican senators who opposed the effort have cited concerns in the past about the appropriate use of reconciliation procedures and whether certain policy provisions satisfy Senate budget rules.
Collins and Murkowski have frequently broken with their party on high-profile votes, while McConnell and Tillis have previously expressed concerns about expanding reconciliation beyond matters directly tied to federal spending and revenue.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and has encouraged lawmakers to attach its provisions to larger pieces of must-pass legislation when possible.
With Wednesday’s vote, however, that strategy suffered another setback, leaving the legislation facing the same procedural obstacles that have prevented it from advancing in the Senate thus far.
