Former President Donald Trump has intervened in a House Republican effort to pass the SAVE America Act, urging his party to unify behind Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to include elements of the election integrity bill in a budget reconciliation package. This move aims to bypass Senate Democrats and send the legislation to Trump's desk.
The SAVE America Act, which proposes a federal voter ID standard and mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, has previously passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Democrats have voiced concerns that the bill amounts to voter suppression.
Johnson's strategy leverages the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate, mirroring the House's threshold. However, this process is subject to strict rules and the interpretation of the Senate parliamentarian regarding permissible content.
The current budget framework, rolled out last week, sets spending limits for congressional committees but does not include explicit spending cuts or "payfors." This has drawn criticism from fiscal conservatives who are wary of increasing the national debt, which has reportedly reached $39.5 trillion.
"The fact that there is no payfor and no language defunding Planned Parenthood is enough for me to vote no," Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. "I am open to a dialogue with the administration on how we can ensure that the SAVE language is solid and what we might be able to do with stopping abortions by mail."
Trump took to social media to endorse Johnson and the budget committee members for their work on the reconciliation bill, which includes $95 billion in new government spending. "I am asking all House Republicans to VOTE YES this week on the Budget Resolution, which is an important first step towards getting a Budget Bill. House Republicans must UNIFY, and fight for THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!" he posted.
He further stated the legislation would "get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military."
However, some Republicans remain skeptical. Reps. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., expressed concerns about the lack of payfors. Burchett predicted that elements of the SAVE America Act would be removed in the Senate, leading him to likely vote against the bill upon its return to the House.
A source familiar with the House Freedom Caucus's position indicated that the group might support the budget framework, but only if the full SAVE America Act is incorporated into the final legislation. "The SAVE America Act is our top priority — the president wants it done. Mandatory voter ID and proof of citizenship through reconciliation would be a game-changer for this country. But any watered-down version that makes SAVE policies optional? There will be issues," the source told Fox News Digital.
Conversely, some fiscal hawks within the House Freedom Caucus support the current approach. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., stated, "As a fiscal hawk I understand the apprehension of not having a clear payfor in sight, but as an American, I know it is even more irresponsible to have business as usual elections without the security the SAVE America Act will create."
Another senior House GOP aide commented, "We can't spend years warning about our fiscal crisis and then abandon payfors the moment they're politically inconvenient. Americans are tired of the all-hat, no-cattle approach to fiscal responsibility."
The reconciliation bill's details are still being finalized by relevant congressional committees before being assembled into a larger legislative package. The inclusion of national security spending, potentially around $73 billion, has also been mentioned in relation to ongoing conflicts.