President Donald Trump’s top election integrity priority has been stalled in the Senate for months, and with the passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the push has lost a key player in getting the bill across the line.
Graham was not just a vocal proponent of the SAVE America Act; he was the Senate Budget Committee chair, a position that is crucial in setting the foundation and guardrails for the party-line process Trump has demanded Republicans take to pass the bill.
His sudden death on Sunday came as the House was gearing up to launch a third budget reconciliation attempt in a bid to fund the Pentagon and attach a version of the SAVE America Act to the party-line undertaking.
"This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act, let me tell you," Trump said after Graham’s death.
It’s a maneuver that Graham has wanted to make as soon as the political reality of the bill became clear in the Senate, where a cohort of Senate Republicans have broken from Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to block the bill with Senate Democrats.
In early April, Graham vowed to make a "down payment" on the SAVE America Act through reconciliation.
"Voter integrity laws — I'm going to create grant programs, but they'll have conditions on them," Graham said. "To get a grant, you’ve got to make sure you purge your rolls of illegal immigrants. There are a lot of blue states out there that don't do that, and we'll try to get as much of a voter ID system as I can."
His position on the Senate Budget Committee won’t remain vacant, however.
"I just walked by Lindsey’s desk, so, I mean, I've got to take one step at a time," Johnson said. "I understand the responsibility I'm assuming."
Johnson said that he’s already spoken with his House counterpart, House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and is doing what he can to "organize the effort so we can succeed."
He’s already gotten his hands on the House’s SAVE America plan from House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., but whether the provision lives or dies is ultimately up to the Senate rules referee.
Complicating matters is the running clock lawmakers have to deal with, given the time-consuming nature of budget reconciliation.
The House is in session for two weeks this month, while the Senate will embark on a near month-long sprint. Both chambers will be gone the entirety of August, and return in September to a looming fight over funding the government.
For now, the Senate is waiting on what the House produces, and there’s no guarantee that their product will pass muster with Republicans in the upper chamber.
"The path to 51 is going to be a bumpy one, I think over here," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. "But, we’ll see what they come up with."