House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans to advance President Donald Trump's voter ID legislation through the budget reconciliation process when Congress reconvenes. Johnson emphasized the urgency of passing the SAVE America Act, which he described as a priority for both himself and Trump. He noted that a group of conservative lawmakers had previously stalled a key procedural vote in protest of the legislation's delay.
Trump has publicly reiterated his demands for the voter ID legislation during a recent speech. Johnson stated that the House has passed a version of the voter ID bill multiple times and plans to attempt to pass it again using budget reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate. However, some Senate Republicans remain skeptical about this approach due to previous rulings by the Senate parliamentarian regarding the bill's compliance with reconciliation rules.
Johnson mentioned discussions with Senate Majority Leader John Thune regarding the plan, acknowledging concerns among GOP senators about the potential implications of passing the SAVE America Act through reconciliation. He indicated that the focus would be on the core provisions of the bill, which include strict ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting. Johnson also outlined a strategy to link the SAVE America Act with a bipartisan defense policy package to increase pressure on the Senate to address the legislation.