The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a State Department spending bill that includes language for an election integrity measure that has been a focus for many congressional Republicans, as well as for President Donald Trump.
Known as the SAVE America Act, this measure looks to bar states from accepting and processing a federal voter registration application unless the applicant presents documentation proving U.S. citizenship.
This version of the spending bill was passed by a margin of 217-209, with one Democrat voting in support of it and one Republican voting in opposition.
It is expected, however, that attempts will be made to strip this language from the bill in the Senate before it is sent back down to the House for further approval.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer vowed to work to stop the advancement of the SAVE America Act when it comes before the chamber.
“I’ll say it as many times as it takes: the [Save America] Act is dead on arrival here in the Senate,” Sen. Schumer said prior to the House vote. “I don’t care how Republicans try to package their plan to resurrect the old ghost of Jim Crow – we will kill it.”
President Trump, however, has said that he will not sign any more legislation into law until Congress passes the SAVE America Act.
Earlier this month, for example, Trump allowed a bipartisan housing bill to go into law without his signature.
“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump posted on social media at the time.
Before the end of September, the House needs to approve an additional nine appropriations bills in order to keep the government operational.
