The Senate adjourned for its August recess Saturday without passing President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, leaving the White House’s election integrity push unresolved for a second consecutive recess.
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Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida abandoned a planned budget resolution for a third reconciliation package late Friday after concluding it lacked the votes to pass, The Hill reported. Senators instead voted on a narrower measure requiring photo identification for federal elections, sponsored by Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Every Senate Democrat opposed it, and the bill fell short, drawing only 52 of the 60 votes needed to advance.
The setback came despite direct pressure from Trump, who spoke with Johnson, Lee and Scott by phone Friday. “Obviously, with the president at his direction, this is what he wants to do,” Johnson said afterward, according to Scripps News.
Trump had made his priorities clear days earlier. “[The] SAVE America Act is a very important thing,” he told Punchbowl News Thursday. “John’s trying. He’s trying hard. I really believe that. But if he doesn’t get there, it would be unfortunate.”
The stalled $95 billion reconciliation package would have advanced election integrity measures, funded operations tied to the Iran war and delivered aid to farmers, in addition to the voter ID and citizenship verification provisions at the heart of the SAVE America Act.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune declined Trump’s request to cancel the August recess and keep the chamber in session until the bill passed.
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Lee had pushed back against leaving town without a vote just hours before senators made the call. “I’ve objected to a time agreement that would lock-in leaving for August recess without a vote,” he wrote on X Friday. “We can’t commit to summer vacation before we commit to secure elections.”
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis placed the blame on Senate Democrats in a Saturday statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Every American should be asking why Democrats are fighting against election integrity at every turn,” she said. “They oppose voter ID and commonsense measures that would ensure only Americans decide American elections. And the radical Democrat socialists leading their party support allowing illegal immigrants to vote.” She added that Republicans must use reconciliation “to pay our troops, support our farmers, secure our elections and thwart Democrats’ obstructionist tactics.”
Scott signaled Republicans would try again. “This fight isn’t over. We have a job to do, and I’m looking forward to getting this done with you, my friend,” he posted on X Saturday.
Under the SAVE America Act, voters would be required to prove citizenship when registering to vote and present photo identification to cast a ballot. The Senate previously recessed in late June with the legislation similarly unresolved.
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