Congress
How 1 Republican proposes to pass election safeguards without Democrats
Rep. Julie Fedorchak will introduce legislation Thursday that aims to give Republicans a chance of incorporating some aspects of the GOP’s controversial elections overhaul into their next party-line bill that is set to be released in the coming weeks.
The North Dakota Republican’s bill, known as the “SAVE America Through REAL ID Act,” will try to meet strict Senate rules for the budget reconciliation process by establishing a grant program encouraging states to require federally mandated REAL IDs to vote. That would be an alternative to the proof-of-citizenship and voter-ID mandates in the original SAVE America Act that would likely be excluded from a party-line bill by the Senate parliamentarian.
REAL ID refers to federal verification standards for state-issued photo identification that ensure the holder is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. It could serve as a backdoor way to implement a citizenship requirement, though legal permanent immigrants can legally hold REAL ID cards but cannot vote in federal elections. The bill would allocate $50 million each year from 2027 through 2031 for the program.
Congressional Republicans have struggled to pass the SAVE America Act, with one version stalled in the Senate despite repeated demands for action from President Donald Trump. Turning to reconciliation would sidestep a Democratic filibuster, but it would limit the GOP’s policy options given the strict fiscal rules governing the process. Fedorchak said in an interview the legislation aims to address a major concern she hears from critics about the SAVE America Act — that lower-income Americans won’t be able to afford REAL ID-compliant credentials.
“In order to address that one issue, we’ve created this grant program for states to use to help people who meet the income qualifications … to be able to get a free REAL ID,” she said.
That budgetary impact should allow the measure to be included in a reconciliation bill, she argued.
Speaker Mike Johnson also raised the topic in a closed-door meeting with about a dozen House Republicans of the Republican Governance Group caucus at their lunch Wednesday, according to three people inside the meeting.
Johnson indicated leaders were exploring how and if they could add some aspects of the SAVE America Act to the new GOP-only bill that House Republicans are racing to shape in the coming weeks.
The speaker briefly gauged interest among more centrist-leaning Republicans in the room on the topic as well as other proposed pieces of the forthcoming party-line package.
Fedorchak has discussed the elections legislation with Johnson and other key Republicans, including members of the House Administration Committee. GOP Rep. Laurel Lee, a former secretary of State in Florida, has also been working on the legislation and plans to co-sponsor the bill, Fedorchak said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune took issue Monday with a new ad campaign featuring President Donald Trump that is being underwritten with federal funds.
“It’s a great message. I like the message. But it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” the top Senate Republican told reporters.
One of the ads that has aired in recent days is virtually identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad except that the new version states it is “paid for by the U.S. government.” Another shows images of Trump accompanied by a song titled “Love Me” and captions such as, “America will never be a communist country.”
Thune (R-S.D.) noted that Trump has not specified where the funding is coming from. The White House has defended the ad campaign as a “public service announcement” akin to spots backed by previous presidents promoting things like Covid-19 vaccinations.
The Senate will vote this week on a House-passed bill to restrict the ability of members of Congress and their families to buy and sell stocks, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose unannounced scheduling.
The vote is likely to take place Wednesday, the people said, pending GOP leaders setting up the plans on the Senate floor.
The stock-trading bill passed the House earlier this year in a 232-198 vote, with only 13 Democrats in favor. Most House Democrats opposed the bill because it would not require members to sell stocks they already own and because they viewed included voter ID language as a “poison pill.”
It will need 60 votes to advance in the Senate, meaning at least seven Democrats would need to support it.
Senate Republicans had been discussing bringing up the bill as one of their final items before leaving Washington until after the midterms — something that could happen as soon as Wednesday.
It’s one of two bills Republicans are expected to tee up this week that is being led by a Republican in a tight reelection race. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) helped roll out the stock trading bill. The included voter ID language has been championed by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who is also behind the data center costs bill Republicans also plan to put on the floor this week.
The Senate is — finally — on the verge of making a great escape.
After last week’s decision to stick around and try to make headway on a number of GOP priorities, Senate Republicans could leave town as soon as Wednesday, according to several senators and aides.
A long-sought permitting vote isn’t happening (more on that below), so John Thune’s pre-election to-do list is relatively light.
It starts with final passage of the bipartisan bill overhauling the college sports industry, which is expected Monday night. But the idea that a sports bill could be the last item of Senate business before Election Day has some optics-minded GOP senators grumbling.
“People are worried about the cost of living, I don’t know how else to say it,” said an increasingly vocal Sen. John Kennedy. “We just haven’t addressed it.”
Enter the GOP’s two-for-one special: They’re bringing up a House-passed bill — the Ratepayer Protection Act — aimed at curbing data-center-driven utility cost hikes. They hope the vote will divide Democrats on a hot-button issue and give endangered Sen. Jon Husted something to tout back home in Ohio.
Thune is expected to tee up the bill Monday night for a vote Wednesday. A Schumer spokesperson said over the weekend the bill “falls short” and said Democrats would seek a “stronger standard.”
Blocking a data-center bill wouldn’t make for great headlines for Democrats. On the other hand, they’re in no mood to do favors for Husted, who is facing ex-Sen. Sherrod Brown on Nov. 3.
Also on the agenda: Republicans are discussing votes on measures from Husted and Sen. Pete Ricketts, who is in his own competitive race in Nebraska, to roll back California’s stricter standards for vehicle emissions.
They’re also likely to vote on a House-passed bill to curb lawmaker stock trading. The stock trading bill is being led by Ricketts, and it includes voter ID requirements that have been championed by Husted.
And while Sen. Kevin Cramer removed his hold on one more nominee — Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary — the Senate isn’t expected to vote on that nomination this week.
Cramer is maintaining his broader nominee blockade over Fish and Wildlife regulations — meaning Labor secretary nominee Keith Sonderling and other picks are likely to wait until November.
What else we’re watching:
— THE SENATE’S HOMELAND ROADBLOCK — Sen. Rand Paul has become nearly impossible to get around on everything from cybersecurity to immigration legislation. The Homeland Security chair’s refusal to move forward on several legislative fronts means his colleagues will have to wait until at least January to try to advance their priorities when a new Congress convenes and Paul potentially moves to Senate HELP.
— COLLINS DECRIES POCKET RESCISSIONS — Top Republican appropriator and battleground Sen. Susan Collins Friday night blasted President Donald Trump‘s move to unilaterally cancel funding Congress enacted. Collins pledged to work with other lawmakers “to address these illegal actions.” The president declared canceled nearly $1 billion in a budget maneuver called a “pocket rescission.” The move will almost certainly set up an ugly government funding battle after the midterms, as top Democratic appropriators are also already calling on their GOP colleagues to reject the effort to circumvent Congress.
Eric Bazail-Eimil, Maggie Miller, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
The Dictatorship2 years agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics2 years agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship2 years agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Politics2 years agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words
-
Politics2 years agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit