Lee and Graham Press Parallel Procedural Moves to Advance Trump‑Backed SAVE Act Amid DHS Shutdown
Sen. Mike Lee has urged President Trump to invoke a rare constitutional power to force Congress back from recess, even as Sen. Lindsey Graham — as Senate Budget Committee chair — plans to use a fall budget reconciliation package as a “down payment” on the Trump‑backed SAVE Act by crafting federal grant conditions that would push states to purge voter rolls of illegal immigrants and adopt voter‑ID–style measures. Graham acknowledges reconciliation’s limits and the plan would move without Democratic support since the full SAVE Act cannot clear a filibuster, while Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, say their opposition targets mass voter‑roll purges they view as suppressive rather than basic photo ID.
📌 Key Facts
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, as Senate Budget Committee chair, says he plans to use a fall budget reconciliation package to make a “down payment” on the Trump‑backed Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
- Graham's proposed approach would create federal grant programs that condition funding on states purging voter rolls of illegal immigrants and adopting voter‑ID‑style measures.
- He plans to meet with the White House to design the reconciliation framework and acknowledges reconciliation’s limits, framing the effort as a partial implementation strategy rather than full enactment of the SAVE Act.
- The SAVE Act cannot clear a filibuster under current Senate dynamics; Trump and conservative allies have pressured GOP leaders to use a talking filibuster or abolish the filibuster, proposals that some Republicans including Sen. John Thune have rejected.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats’ objection is to mass voter‑roll purges they view as suppressive, not to basic photo ID requirements per se.
📊 Relevant Data
In a 2023 survey, 28% of Black voting-age US citizens do not have a driver’s license with their current name and/or address, compared to 18% of White citizens, 27% of Hispanic citizens, and 21% of Asian/Pacific Islander citizens.
Who Lacks ID in America Today? An Exploration of Voter ID Possession in the U.S. — Center for Democracy & Civic Engagement, University of Maryland
Between January 2020 and December 2021, Black voters were purged at higher rates than White voters in 24 states, with examples including Wisconsin where 17% of Black voters were purged compared to 8% of White voters.
Voter Purge Trends Among White and Black Voters, January 2020 to December 2021 — VoteVets Network
The turnout gap between White and Black voters grew by 11 percentage points in counties previously covered under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act between 2012 and 2022, compared to a 6-point increase in similar noncovered counties.
Racial disparities in voter turnout have grown since Supreme Court ruling, study says — NPR
In Iowa's 2024-2025 audit, 277 confirmed noncitizens were identified on voter rolls, representing approximately 0.01% of registered voters, with 35 having cast ballots in the 2024 general election.
Update: Review of Claims of Noncitizen Registrants and Voters — Center for Election Innovation & Research
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, as Senate Budget Committee chair, says he plans to use a fall budget reconciliation package to make a “down payment” on the Trump‑backed Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.
- Graham outlines a specific approach: creating federal grant programs with conditions that require states to purge voter rolls of illegal immigrants and adopt voter‑ID‑style measures as a condition of receiving funds.
- He says he will meet with the White House on Friday to design the reconciliation framework and acknowledges reconciliation limits, framing this as a partial implementation strategy.
- The article reiterates that the SAVE Act cannot clear a filibuster under current Senate dynamics and notes that Trump and conservatives have been pressuring GOP leaders to use a talking filibuster or scrap the filibuster—moves that John Thune and others have rejected.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is quoted restating Democrats’ position that their objection is to mass voter‑roll purges they see as suppressive, not to basic photo ID per se.