Category: August pfluger
Exclusive: SAVE Act hangs in the balance as Republican Study Committee pushes for Senate passage
While the Senate continues stalling the commonsense SAVE Act, the Republican Study Committee members are pressuring their colleagues to send the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The House passed the SAVE Act for the second time in April, but the Senate has yet to schedule a vote to pass the bill. Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas originally spearheaded the legislation, which would simply require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections.
‘American elections should be fair and free, not subject to foreign influence.’
Since then, dozens of RSC members have been pressuring the Senate to hold a vote, telling Blaze News that “the Senate must do their job.”
“Voting in American elections is a right reserved for American citizens, and the House did our job by passing the SAVE Act months ago to secure it,” RSC Chairman August Pfluger (Texas) told Blaze News. “We’re already a full year into the 119th Congress, and the American people are still waiting for the Senate to deliver what we promised them in 2024. They sent us here to get things done, not to make excuses.”
RELATED: Democrats vote overwhelmingly against GOP bill aiming to bar illegal aliens from voting
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images
“This is a commonsense reform with broad public support from Americans who want elections that are free, fair, and secure,” Roy told Blaze News. “Now it’s time for the Senate to act. All it takes is 51 Republicans willing to demand a vote. And if Democrats choose to filibuster, they can explain to the American people why they believe noncitizens should be allowed to vote. That is a debate we will win every time.”
Roy and Pfluger secured the backing of dozens of colleagues, including RSC Vice Chair Ben Cline of Virginia and Republican Reps. Mark Alford of Missouri; Riley Moore of West Virginia; Kat Cammack of Florida; Andy Harris of Maryland; Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Claudia Tenney of New York; Burgess Owens of Utah; Abe Hamadeh of Arizona; Anna Paulina Luna of Florida; Brandon Gill of Texas; John McGuire of Virginia; Robert Aderholt of Alabama; Mike Collins of Georgia; Eric Burlison of Missouri; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Marlin Stutzman of Indiana; Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania; Mike Ezell of Mississippi; Russell Fry of South Carolina; Mark Harris of North Carolina; Buddy Carter of Georgia; Mike Kennedy of Utah; and Lance Gooden of Texas.
As Luna of Florida noted to Blaze News, “House Republicans are aligned.”
“American elections should be fair and free, not subject to foreign influence,” Gill told Blaze News. “Illegal aliens have no right to be in America, and they certainly shouldn’t be voting.”
RELATED: ‘Horrifying situation’: Some Republicans retreat following Minneapolis shooting of anti-ICE agitator
Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images
“We hear from the other side that voter ID is somehow racist,” Owens told Blaze News, referring to common talking points peddled by Democrats. “That is nonsense. What is racist is assuming minorities can’t get an ID. That’s called the soft bigotry of low expectations, and it is wildly insulting. I’ve been a proud day-one co-sponsor of the SAVE Act.”
“The longer the Senate waits, the longer this commonsense protection sits on the shelf,” Pfluger told Blaze News. “Seven Democrat Senators must decide: Do they stand with Republicans in affirming that our elections are legal, fair, and only for American citizens, or don’t they? The answer should be obvious. Pass this bill and get it to President Trump’s desk.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Republicans race to pass competing health care bill as clock ticks on Obamacare subsidies
With the deadline to extend Obamacare subsidies fast approaching, Republican lawmakers are leading the charge.
Former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act has been the focal point of health care discussions on Capitol Hill as ACA subsidies are expected to expire at the end of the year. These are the same subsidies Senate Democrats cited as the basis of their record-breaking shutdown.
The Republicans’ legislation blocks funds for ‘gender transition procedures’ and abortions.
In response, several Republicans introduced their own legislation, including the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act penned by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho.
With just weeks until these subsidies lapse, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) will hold a vote on that key legislation on Thursday.
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Crapo-Cassidy bill would allow the Obama-era subsidies to lapse, instead boosting funds for health savings accounts. Eligible adults under the age of 50 would receive $1,000 deposited into their HSA while those between the ages 50 and 64 would get $1,500.
It would also fund cost-sharing reduction payments and provide eligible Americans the option to purchase “bronze” or “catastrophic” health care plans. Notably the Republicans’ legislation blocks funds for “gender transition procedures” and abortions.
Although Republicans are expected to vote for the legislation, it is unlikely to pass due to the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Assuming all 53 Republicans vote in favor of the bill, at least seven Democrats would have to cross the aisle for the legislation to pass the Senate.
RELATED: Democrat senator makes stunning admission about Obamacare failures
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Other Republicans, like Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, are also introducing alternative health care bills. Scott introduced his More Affordable Care Act alongside Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (Texas), who spearheaded the companion bill in the House.
Scott and Pfluger’s bill would create Trump Health Freedom Accounts, redirecting federal subsidies traditionally sent to insurance companies to these HSA-style accounts held by individual Americans. The bill would also establish a Health Freedom Waiver Program, allowing states to broaden their health plans and expand competition to offer fairer prices.
At this time, there is no vote scheduled for Scott’s legislation.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
