Trump's push to revive SAVE America Act runs into skepticism from its biggest backers

By Fox News · Fox News

President Donald Trump wants Republicans to include his long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification legislation into a party-line package, but even the bill’s strongest backers don’t think it’s possible. Trump last week demanded that Republicans get to work on a third budget reconciliation package, cramming $350 billion in defense spending along with the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act into one bill. Republicans, fresh off passing their second reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement for the remainder of the Trump era, were lukewarm at best on doing the process again, especially with little time left before the fast-approaching midterm elections. TRUMP'S PUSH FOR $350 BILLION 'ARSENAL OF FREEDOM' HITS GOP SKEPTICISM But some see reconciliation, which would completely cut Democrats out of the process, as the only way to pass the SAVE America Act. "It’s our only shot. It's the only shot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. "I just don't think we have enough time. We burned a lot of time, and I'm not sure that we can agree on all the stuff to put in it. Not everybody is as easy to get along with as I am." The problems facing the legislation are two-pronged. Senate Democrats have vowed to block it on the floor, meaning any hope of hitting the 60-vote filibuster threshold is impossible — and not every Republican is on board with the bill. "I support voter ID and support only American citizens voting, but Democrats are implacably opposed to it, and we don't have enough Republicans to fill the gap," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. "So we should move on and focus on winning the midterms instead of fighting each other." SCHUMER SAYS DEMS WILL FIGHT VOTER ID PUSH 'TOOTH AND NAIL,' BALKS AT DHS ROLE IN ELECTIONS Republicans have tried and failed several times now to pass the bill, even launching a quasi-floor takeover earlier this year to force debate on the matter. Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged tha…