Overview
- Tuesday night the Senate’s vote-a-rama produced two failed attempts to attach the House-passed SAVE America Act to a $70 billion immigration package and Mike Lee’s original amendment reached 50 votes after Sen. Susan Collins switched her position.
- A separate modified amendment from Sen. Lindsey Graham fell short when four Republican senators — Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis and Susan Collins — voted against it, denying that procedural route its needed support.
- The bill still faces the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and the Senate parliamentarian’s rulings have limited options for attaching the measure to other legislation, leaving Majority Leader John Thune unwilling to erase the filibuster for now.
- The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections and a photo ID to vote, a change supporters say ensures integrity and opponents say would restrict access for some voters.
- With the broad attachment strategy blocked, Republicans are weighing narrower proposals or procedural gambits and risk political blowback if they move to change long-standing Senate rules or the parliamentarian’s role.