During the Senate’s lengthy “vote-a-rama” session on June 4, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah brought the House-passed SAVE America Act to the Senate floor for a vote, giving lawmakers another opportunity to weigh in on election integrity legislation.
The amendment received majority support, passing by a narrow 50-49 vote. Despite winning more votes in favor than against, the proposal was not adopted because it was introduced as a waiver to Senate budget rules during the reconciliation process. Under Senate rules, such amendments require a three-fifths supermajority—60 votes—to be approved.
The outcome marked an improvement over an earlier election-related amendment introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. That proposal failed by a 48-50 vote after four Republican senators broke with their party and joined Democrats in opposition.
The SAVE America Act would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections while also strengthening voter identification requirements across the country. Supporters argue the measure is intended to protect election integrity, while critics have raised concerns about its potential impact on voter access.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted against Graham’s earlier amendment. However, when Lee later introduced the clean House-passed version of the SAVE Act, Collins changed her position and voted in favor, joining the rest of the Republican conference in supporting the measure.
Although the amendment ultimately fell short of the 60 votes needed for adoption, the final 50-49 result demonstrated that supporters can command a simple majority in the Senate. It also suggested that, under different procedural rules, the legislation would have had enough support to advance.
Vice President JD Vance, who serves as president of the Senate and is authorized to cast tie-breaking votes, was present if needed. His availability meant supporters effecti
