As the midterm elections draw nearer, a significant legislative drama unfolds in the hallowed halls of Congress. Enter the Save America Act—a piece of legislation that a vast majority of Americans seem to embrace, at least if you trust the polls. With over 80% reportedly supporting the idea of presenting ID to vote, one would assume Congress could pass such a straightforward idea faster than you can say “voter integrity.” Yet, here we are, embroiled in another political tug-of-war.
President Trump, never one to shy away from expressing his views, is strongly urging Republican Senators to act decisively. He’s calling for them to pull out all the stops, even if that means blowing up the filibuster, to get the Save America Act across the finish line. After all, Democrats will do it as soon as they smell an opportunity, right? But is it really that simple? According to Senator Ron Johnson, complete support for the act would mean torching the filibuster—and not everyone has marshmallow sticks ready for that particular bonfire.
The drama intensifies with the cast of Republican characters who are standing in the way. Mitch McConnell, despite his lengthy sabbatical from the Senate and not looking any fresher for it, somehow manages to throw a wrench in the works. His opposition seems as mysterious as the secret recipe for KFC chicken. Then there’s Tom Tillis—because what’s a piece of proposed legislation if it doesn’t have a few strange objectors that puzzle us all with their opposition?
Republicans find themselves in a pickle. They control the White House, the Congress, and the Senate, yet the Save America Act seems as elusive as a bipartisan dinner party. The truth is painfully simple: without the support of a few rogue Republicans, namely McConnell, Tillis, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, the dream of voter ID requirements might just remain that—a dream.
Add to this cocktail a little irony: while Democrats insist minimal voter fraud exists, cases such as the recent New Jersey snafu, where thousands of non-citizens ended up on voter rolls due to a ‘computer error,’ suggest otherwise. One could almost hear Steve Scalise shaking his head in disbelief, incredulous at the irony that IDs are required for mere trifles like beer purchases or flights, but not for such a pivotal act as voting.
The real travesty is that this legislative gridlock might dampen Republican voter turnout when November rolls around. If Republicans can’t leverage their majority to deliver this one supposedly common-sense reform, questions need to be asked. Do they want to hand Democrats the narrative on a silver platter? Because if the Save America Act doesn’t make it, they might as well start frantically searching for those misplaced Senate votes as they watch power slip through their fingers.
