President Donald Trump has called on Republican lawmakers to forgo the Easter recess and pass a voter identification bill, invoking Jesus in his appeal. Speaking at a roundtable event in Memphis, Tennessee, Trump said, 'Don't worry about Easter, going home. In fact, make this one for Jesus.'
The voting bill, known as the SAVE Act, would require proof of citizenship to register and a photo ID to vote. It is strongly opposed by Democrats and currently lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
Trump also suggested tying the voting bill to funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been partially shut down since February 13 due to a dispute over immigration enforcement reforms. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed this idea, calling it 'not realistic.'
Thune expressed hope that a path to pass the DHS funding bill could be found before the recess. Key sticking points include a Democratic demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents obtain judicial warrants before entering private property. Thune noted that administrative warrants, which have not typically been used for forcible entry, have been a longstanding practice.
The DHS funding lapse has left tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers unpaid for five weeks, leading to increased sick leave and resignations. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of trying to sabotage negotiations by demanding the SAVE Act be passed first.
