Republicans are gearing up for a confrontation over the SAVE America Act. President Trump wants it passed before midterms; the bill requires voter ID and proof of citizenship, and restricts mail-in voting. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the GOP doesn't have the votes. Conservative senators Mike Lee and Rick Scott have been pushing the bill for months, and they've now arranged for Trump to join a GOP leadership lunch — putting him face-to-face with Thune to make the case. The numbers are unforgiving: the SAVE Act mustered only forty-eight votes in its last amendment attempt, well short of the sixty needed. Other Republicans are losing patience. Senator Thom Tillis told reporters that Lee is pushing a fantasy. Thune offered dry commentary, noting that some things haven't been done in a century for a reason. According to Axios, GOP leadership has made its peace with the arithmetic: the votes simply aren't there.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton