Cleta Mitchell, chairman of the Election Integrity Network, speaks during a news conference at the House steps of the U.S. Capitol to introduce the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act,” which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, on May 8, 2024.
Cleta Mitchell is taking credit for pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to bring the SAVE America Act up for a marathon debate and floor vote this week.
The sweeping voter suppression bill — which would require showing documentary proof of citizenship at registration and voter ID at the polls — still does not have the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster in the Senate. But Mitchell, the prominent anti-voting activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, said on social media Monday that Thune bringing the measure to floor signals that the GOP is giving in to right-wing pressure.
“What is most important to know is this particular next phase is a win,” Mitchell wrote. “It is a BIG step. It is a result of the people rising up and slamming the Senate last week.”
Plans emerged last week for Thune to bring the SAVE America Act up for debate and then, at some point, invoke a cloture, which would end debate and move on with a vote on the legislation. That would require 60 votes to pass the measure, but with Democrats universally opposed (plus a few Republicans), the measure is all but doomed.
But Thune indicated that debate for the SAVE America Act could go on for at least the entire week — a pivot from the majority leader’s original plan to immediately bring the measure to a vote and end it before there’s even debate. Mitchell hailed the development as a victory and proof that the pressure campaign to pass the bill is working.
“We the people were so angry at [Thune] after his remarks on Tuesday throwing in the towel without a fight, and there was such an avalanche of calls and social media posts MAINLY ON X, attacking [Thune] and the [Senate GOP] that it really shook up the Senate leadership, penetrated their hard heads, and they finally started listening,” Mitchell added.
After the original plans for the SAVE America Act vote emerged, MAGA melted down, with Mitchell, President Donald Trump, and scores of anti-voting activists unleashing increasingly unhinged posts on social media accusing Thune of sabotaging the bill.
Trump even said he would refuse to sign any bills unless the measure passes. (Nevermind that any bill passed by Congress automatically becomes law if not signed by the president within 10 days).
But the SAVE America Act still doesn’t have the votes needed to pass the Senate, andMitchell hopes the prolonged debate will shift the overton window enough to flip the votes needed to pass it.
“We now have to make sure the Senate stays on the bill long enough to refocus that same anger and angst against the Dems,” Mitchell said. “They are, after all, our real opponents. We have a lot of work to do in this next phase. But we now know we can do it.”
