GOP triggers marathon Senate fight to expose Dems' opposition to Trump-backed voter ID bill

By Fox News · Fox News

Senate Republicans on Tuesday successfully launched their floor takeover to put Senate Democrats on record against Trump-backed voter ID legislation. It’s a move to shift the spotlight from internal GOP divisions over the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act onto Senate Democrats, who are ultimately withholding the needed votes to pass the bill. "Not a single Democrat will support the SAVE Act. It is a radical bill," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor. "And if Republicans try to burn time on this legislation here on the floor, we will oppose them for as long as it takes." TRUMP VOTER ID PUSH FACES SENATE TEST AS GOP REBELS THREATEN TO SINK BILL It’s also the culmination of a pressure campaign on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., from President Donald Trump, conservatives in his conference and a fervent online campaign to put the bill on the floor. Trump said he spoke with Thune Monday morning about the forthcoming process and said "he’s trying." "I hope John Thune can get it across the line," Trump said. When asked if Trump understood the path forward, Thune said, "Well, I think he wants us to fight for our position, which we will, and then we'll see what the Democrats want to do." Still, opening up what will be a multi-day marathon debate on the bill wasn’t without its hiccups. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined all Senate Democrats to block the legislation. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who threatened to do everything he could to block the bill, did not vote. While the lobbying campaign from Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was partly successful in getting the bill on the floor, it is still destined to fail. Lee said during a video call on X Monday that he and Trump were confident they could win the floor fight if Republicans "get this thing teed up, and we do not leave it until it's passed." SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADS FOR DEFEAT Le…