The crazed denizens of the right wing has been pushing hard for John Thune and Senate Republicans to overcome the 60-vote hurdle to pass the SAVE Act legislation. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as well as House Republicans and online influencers recognize the votes aren’t there to abolish the 60-vote rule, but they want Republicans to use a “talking filibuster” to try to pass the measure.
“We want to get to the SAVE Act,” Thune said, while cautioning that other Republican priorities like funding the Department of Homeland Security and pursuing a housing bill are “harder to do once you’re in the throes of a talking filibuster.”
The bill would require new proof-of-citizenship rules to register to vote, photo ID to cast a ballot in person or by mail, and other nationwide changes, including new birth certificates for married women who took their husband’s last name.
After a Senate GOP meeting, Thune sounded frustrated.
“The talking filibuster issue is one on which there is not, certainly, a unified Republican conference, and there would have to be. If you go down that path, you’re talking about the need to table what are going to be numerous amendments and an ability to keep 50 Republicans unified, pretty much on every single vote. And there’s just not, there isn’t support for doing that at this point.”
Oh darn.