North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) said he will oppose efforts to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the SAVE America Act before the upcoming midterm elections, arguing the legislation cannot be implemented in time.
Tillis made the remarks Thursday as President Donald Trump continues urging Congress to approve the election integrity measure, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and photo identification to cast a ballot.
The legislation has become one of Trump’s top legislative priorities ahead of the November elections.
Speaking before Trump’s prime-time address on election security, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would call for stronger election safeguards.
“I think all Americans — Democrat, Republican — should agree that we are the greatest country in the history of the world. We should have the safest and most secure elections in the history of the world,” Leavitt said.
She added that Trump would argue additional reforms, including the SAVE America Act, are needed.
Tillis said he supports election security measures but opposes including the proposal in a reconciliation package, which allows certain budget-related legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes normally required to overcome a filibuster.
“If I see a reconciliation bill come from the House with another failed attempt to confuse this election, I will use every device I have available to slow down the wheels of government,” Tillis said.
He argued that implementing the proposed voter registration requirements before this year’s elections would not be practical because election systems at multiple levels of government would need significant changes.
“I have been trying to explain for nearly a year that the SAVE Act … is fundamentally flawed and impossible to implement by this election,” Tillis said.
The North Carolina senator said he supports providing grants to help states strengthen voter identification systems but believes lawmakers should avoid adding provisions that could delay broader government funding legislation, per Trending Politics.
“Let’s get the government funded, let’s use reconciliation if we need to, but let’s not clog it up with another piece of policy,” he said.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. While reconciliation would require only a simple majority, a standalone version of the SAVE America Act would still need 60 votes to advance under normal Senate procedures.
Democratic lawmakers have largely opposed the legislation, arguing it could make voter registration more difficult for eligible citizens and that existing federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
Supporters of the bill argue that requiring documentary proof of citizenship would strengthen election integrity and improve public confidence in federal elections.
