Sen Kennedy urges 'smart lawyers' to rework SAVE America Act for simple-majority path
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., in his patented off-the-cuff, southern style, urged the "smart lawyers" in Congress and beyond to rework the SAVE America Act to pass Senate parliamentarian "muster," so...
By Fox News · Fox News
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., in his patented off-the-cuff, southern style, urged the "smart lawyers" in Congress and beyond to rework the SAVE America Act to pass Senate parliamentarian "muster," so it can move to law with a simple budget reconciliation majority. "You don't know till you try, and we haven't tried," Kennedy said Wednesday night during the brief Senate debate window on the federal election integrity bill seeking voter I.D., proof of citizenship, vetted voter rolls and mail-in ballot reforms. "And if this bill is as important as everybody says it is — and I think it is because we're not just talking about voting; we're talking about the confidence, the trust of the American people in our elections if — this bill is as important as we say it is, we should try it through reconciliation." Kennedy admitted he is "in the minority on this," but joked that "sometimes the majority just means all the fools are on the same side." SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADS FOR DEFEAT "Sometimes someone in the minority can be right," he said, noting Senate Majority Leader John Thune , R-S.D., needs even more convincing on budget reconciliation than he needed to bring this week's limited debate to the Senate floor on what could be President Donald Trump's signature election integrity law. There are enough "smart lawyers" in the U.S. to find a budget reconciliation form of the bill, according to Kennedy. "I haven't convinced Sen. Thune to that," he said. "I haven't convinced all my colleagues on either side of the aisle. But, I plan on continuing to chase them like they stole Thanksgiving and Christmas put together." REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: GOP WEIGHS 'NUKING' FILIBUSTER TO PASS TRUMP'S SAVE ACT The bill might have to overcome Democrat filibuster in the next week before the Senate's Easter recess, particularly amid the new urgency on other Senate priorities, including Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., moving to a full Senate vote to confirm him as the next D…