WASHINGTON — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on Tuesday became the first Republican senator to speak out against the SAVE Act, a sweeping election bill backed by President Donald Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote nationwide.
In doing so, she reminded her colleagues of their staunch opposition to new federal election laws during Joe Biden’s presidency.
“When Democrats tried to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in their opposition because it would federalize elections, something we have long opposed,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Now, I see proposals like the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively do just that. Once again, I do not support these efforts.”
“Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide that states have the power to regulate the ‘time, place and manner’ of holding federal elections, Washington, D.C.’s blanket mandates rarely work in places like Alaska,” she added.
Under current law, all U.S. voters must take an oath to prove they are citizens, and lying is subject to criminal penalties. Beyond that, states can set their own rules.
The SAVE Act would prohibit states from registering voters to vote unless they provide documentation or evidence of U.S. citizenship. It also requires all Americans to show ID when voting.
The bill, introduced by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, has 48 Republican co-sponsors, and Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to pass it in recent days. Even if it gains a Senate majority, it would be subject to a 60-vote threshold and Democrats have vowed to block it.
While Trump and other CARES Act supporters say the bill is intended to protect the integrity of elections, Murkowski said the move would have the opposite effect.
“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep in preparation, will negatively impact the integrity of the election by forcing election officials to scramble to comply with new policies without the necessary resources,” she said. “Ensuring public trust in our elections is core to our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve that goal.”
In 2021 and 2022, Democrats passed the For the People Act in the House, seeking to create an aggressive set of federal rules to enhance voting rights and prohibit partisan gerrymandering. A majority of senators supported a stripped-down version, known as the Free to Vote Act, but the bill died amid Republican-led obstruction.
At the time, Senate Republicans strongly opposed the measure, saying election rules must be determined by states.
“This is not a federal issue,” McConnell told reporters in January 2022 when the bill was introduced in the Senate. Advertisement
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com