Four States Pass Own Versions Of SAVE Act As U.S. Senate Twiddles Thumbs

The American people have grown almost numb to the fact that elected officials, for the most part, do not have their interests at heart. Somewhere along the line, elected officials forgot they work for the people. Not the other way around. But we have allowed it to happen, re-electing the same people over and over. Now, we have a system of self-serving narcissists who will do anything to keep power, including voting for something a vast majority of people do not want.

There have been videos online of towns in Missouri, where the entire city shows up to a city council meeting to plead with the council to not pass an ordinance for a new data center. All for them to watch the council pass the ordinance in their faces. Capitol Hill is no different, as politicians have gone against the people for decades.

It has been especially prevalent in the GOP efforts to pass the Save America Act (SAVE). The bill would require legal identification to vote in our elections. So, people who should not be voting in them do not. It is simple, common-sense legislation. Recent polls showed over 80-percent of the country, including 70-percent of Democrats, support the SAVE Act. Yet here we are, months later, with the SAVE Act sitting in the Senate.

Majority Leader John Thune has been about as useful as a chocolate teapot. He has sat on the SAVE act, not even putting it on the floor, essentially saying "it is too hard." The leader of the chamber won't pass something Americans want because it would be uncomfortable. It has become a laughable slap in the face to Americans. So now, states are taking matters into their own hands.

Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota and Utah have all passed their own versions of the SAVE Act in their states. Maisey Jefferson of the Federalist says this has all become a bit of failed theater.

"It is super frustrating to see they seem unwilling to try or go through the challenging procedures in order to get it passed," she says.

GOP lawmakers proposed using reconciliation in some form to pass the SAVE Act. Thune turned his nose up at it. Lawmakers also proposed using the talking filibuster and maybe deter them from voting against it. Thune said he was not in favor. At every step he has just failed to advance any momentum with the bill, proving once again the only interests they serve are for themselves.

To make it worse, this is not some new idea. People have been demanding this for over a year, ever since President Trump took back the White House. People want secure elections. People want to vote in their preferred candidate and know their vote matters. But the Senate just does not seem to care.

"Lawmakers have had this mandate for at least a year...election integrity in these other states is great news, but it is also an indictment on the GOP-led Senate that these states are acting faster," Jefferson says.

It is pretty pathetic state governments can get these laws passed quicker than the largest, most important government on the planet. Making it even better, in the middle of all this, Homeland Security remains shut down. But Congress decided they need a vacation and took a two-week recess.

Now that they are back and well-rested surely, they can do their job and pass actual legislation people want. Hopefully following the lead of competent states.

"The fact these states can pass these laws, show they can be passed and elections can be secured," Jefferson says.

This is a simple bill that should get passed before the midterms. But what we want and what Washington wants are somehow not aligned. Even though they work for us.