Senate GOP Advances Voter ID Bill Amid Opposition

0:00Here's more Anchorage news for March 17th. Senate Republicans took a key step Tuesday by voting 51-48 to begin debate on the Safe Guard American Voter Elegibility Act, or SAVE, America Act. The bill would mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration and a photo ID to cast ballots, aiming to prevent non-citizen voting. Lawmakers now face amendments and need 60 votes to end debate and pass it, which looks unlikely with strong democratic opposition. The House already approved it last month, but the Senate process could drag on for days or weeks. President Trump ramped up pressure, posting the Hill campaign against any lawmaker opposing the bill, calling it a guaranteed loss for them. One Republican, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, voted no on starting debate, while North Carolina's Tom Tillis skipped the vote. Democrats warned the measure would create red tape, kicking millions off voter rolls using a flawed federal database, often without notice. Yet data from a bipartisan analysis shows just 77 confirmed non-citizen votes nationwide

1:05from 1999 to 2023. Meanwhile, debate continues with talk of adding restrictions on mail-in voting and other issues, though Senate leaders like John Thune admit the votes. Aren't there for passage, they see it as a chance for public discussion ahead of midterms. Support for this DNN episode comes from our sponsor. Your pillow just got smarter. It plays your podcast in music, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.