Those long TSA lines may not be going away anytime soon.
President Donald Trump on Sunday night threw a new wrench into ongoing Capitol Hill negotiations to fund the Department of Homeland Security, demanding that Republicans refuse to make a deal with Democrats unless the “SAVE America Act” is passed.
“I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass ‘THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate.”
But that bill has almost no chance of becoming law, so Trump’s demand leaves the department’s future funding in doubt.
Airport chaos only grew worse over the weekend, and until DHS funding is restored, it’s likely to continue. On Monday, ICE agents began deploying at several airports across the US to support TSA agents.
What’s in the “SAVE America Act” — and why it has little chance
The “SAVE America Act” is a bill that includes several election-related policy changes, including requiring voters to present photo ID to cast their ballots, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, and banning the use of mail-in ballots except in certain cases.
A version of the bill passed the GOP-controlled House in February. Since then, Trump has demanded that lawmakers add provisions targeting transgender Americans, including banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports and banning transgender-related surgeries for minors.
While popular with the GOP base, the bill stands little to no chance of becoming law. That’s because of the Senate’s “filibuster” rule, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation.
With Republicans holding just 53 seats in the Senate, Democratic support would be needed to pass the bill. Democrats are universally opposed to the legislation, casting it as a federal takeover of elections, which have long been run by states.
Trump has also urged Republicans to vote to end the filibuster rule, which they could do with just 50 votes. Several GOP senators oppose doing that, citing their belief that the rule can force compromise between the two parties.
In his Sunday night Truth Social post, Trump said the vote should be held anyway.
“Let Leader Thune clearly identify those few ‘Republicans’ that are Voting against AMERICA,” Trump wrote. “They will never be elected again!”
Lawmakers seemed to be approaching a deal before Trump’s demand
Trump’s demand comes as senators seemed to be approaching an agreement to restore DHS funding.
Democrats have opposed further funding for ICE and Border Patrol until Trump agrees to reforms to immigration enforcement tactics. Those negotiations have been moving in fits and starts for over a month.
But Democrats have offered to fund the rest of DHS, including TSA. And some GOP senators had grown warm to that idea.
“I’m interested in any strategy to get the government open, to pay the Department of Homeland Security,” Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told The Hill, saying that the GOP could fund ICE and Border Patrol through future party-line legislation.
According to Punchbowl News, Senate Majority Leader John Thune approached Trump with that idea over the weekend, only to be rebuffed.
“You can’t have Homeland Security without voter ID, or proof of citizenship,” Trump said in Memphis on Monday. “So we’re tying them together.”
In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that the bill is “commonsense legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans.”
“Our elections should be treated with the utmost security and the SAVE America Act will ensure that they are,” Jackson said.
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