In the ever-entertaining theater that is Capitol Hill, a new drama is unfolding with the introduction of the Save America Act in the U.S. Senate. This piece of legislation is stirring up quite the kerfuffle as it proposes requiring nationwide voter ID with proof of citizenship to cast a vote. Now, any reasonable person might wonder why something as simple as showing an ID would cause such a commotion. Well, strap in, because this is where things get interesting.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s very own dramatic lead, has taken to the floor with the kind of fervor usually reserved for an off-Broadway performance. He’s loudly insisting that this bill is not about voter ID, but voter suppression. He’s painted a bleak picture, as if requiring an ID would somehow make it easier to buy an AR-15 than register to vote. Quite the mental gymnastics, isn’t it? Yet, years ago, Schumer himself was singing the praises of voter ID requirements. Seems like Grandpa Schumer has had a change of heart—or memory lapse.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, donning his own rhetorical armor, has entered the scene to set the record straight. According to him, the narrative spun by Schumer and his allies is little more than a web of lies. In a world where IDs are needed for everything from boarding a plane to attending a football game, how could it possibly be unconstitutional to require one for voting? The Supreme Court has even given their stamp of approval on this. The only explanation, Senator Hawley suggests, is that Democrats want to keep the playing field as murky as possible. After all, demanding IDs might just make it a tad more challenging to engage in some good old election shenanigans.
One might be tempted to ask, if 80 to 90 percent of the public supports voter ID laws, why such a bill hasn’t breezed through the Senate like a hot knife through butter? Yet here we are, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune admitting that things aren’t exactly trending in that optimistic direction. While there are calls for a standing filibuster or even the deployment of the nuclear option to get this bill through, the math is, unfortunately, not adding up at present.
The takeaway here couldn’t be starker. If Congress can’t pass a bill with such overwhelming public support and straightforward logic, what on Earth can they hope to accomplish? Ironically, the very folks who spent four years lecturing everyone about the sanctity of democracy seem to have abruptly misplaced that tune. Senator Hawley and friends are determined to soldier on, firm in the belief that safeguarding elections is paramount. But in the Senate’s grand play, it remains to be seen whether this act will make it past the first act or get booed off the stage by partisan theatrics.
