Johnson Says He’ll Use Reconciliation to Pass Voter Suppression Bill
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Earlier this week, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he and other GOP lawmakers in Congress would attempt to pass an election reform bill touted by President Donald Trump through budget reconciliation.
The reconciliation process allows a bill to be passed without a Senate filibuster being able to block it. Reconciliation can only be used sparingly, and is subject to certain rules limiting what can be included in the bill.
The proposed bill Johnson is hoping to include in a larger reconciliation package is the SAVE AMERICA Act, a measure that would require states to implement stricter proof of citizenship rules for U.S. residents to register to vote, which voting rights experts fear has the potential to disenfranchise tens of millions of otherwise eligible voters. Trump has prioritized the bill, claiming it is “desperately needed,” despite the measure containing virtually no provision that would make elections more secure than they already are.
The bill has passed multiple times in the House, but has stalled within the Senate. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Johnson said there is a “big urgency” among Republican lawmakers to pass the SAVE AMERICA Act.
“The president has that as a top priority, and so do I,” Johnson said, adding:
As Trump SAVE America Act Stalls in Congress, Red States Pass Their Own Versions
We’re going to try one more time on a budget reconciliation bill, and I think that will be the way to get it through the Senate, and finally to the president’s desk.
We’re going to try one more time on a budget reconciliation bill, and I think that will be the way to get it through the Senate, and finally to the president’s desk.
Johnson’s comments........
