During a recent interview, Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) offered his views on: SAVE America Act, currently under consideration in the Senate and what it might take to change its mind on eliminating the filibuster.
The SAVE America Act requires voters to have identification to prove they are a voting citizen. About 80 percent of Americans support this; however, many Democratic politicians oppose this.
Lately, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.N.Y.) stated that it would “disenfranchise over 20 million American citizens.”
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) responded by clapping.
“Here’s a bill that would require only American citizens to vote and would require photo ID to vote,” Cornyn said. “Well, of course, our colleagues in the Democratic Party are doing what they usually do in these circumstances and claiming that this legislation will disenfranchise voters.”
“It will disenfranchise non-citizens. That’s the point. And they don’t want to do it? Well, again, you have to wonder why? Is it because they want foreigners, illegal immigrants, to be able to vote?” – added Cornyn.
And Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania supports voter ID but he also wants to keep mail-in ballots, which is why he opposes the SAVE America Act in this form.
‘It’s been frustrating’ McCormick said the SAVE America Act remains in the Senate. “Probably no one has been on the Senate floor as often as I have, giving speeches on this topic. I feel this very personally because I lost my first race [to Dr. Mehmet Oz] by a majority of 900 votes. And I won the second one [against former Sen. Bob Casey Jr.] by 15,000 out of 7 million. That’s why every vote must count.”
“And in Pennsylvania, Democrats say very few illegal immigrants vote,” McCormick said. “Well, it doesn’t take much when the races are so close.”
In March, Philadelphia resident Mahady Sacko was arrested for illegal voting.
“He’s been in this country for 25 years and has been in five or six presidential elections, he’s a registered Democrat, and that’s what we’re trying to protect against,” McCormick said.
“We need to put the Democratic Party on the spot and force them to defend why they don’t support this. Eighty percent of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, support it.”
Republicans have 51 votes for the SAVE America Act, but need 60 because of the filibuster.
“So we can’t do it without some Democrats, and I think that can be done by focusing on them and putting pressure on them and making them defend (their position),” he said.
President Trump has called for an end to the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act.
McCormick said he “understands that frustration. I kind of empathize with it because we don’t continue that frustration.”
“There just aren’t the votes for it,” McCormick said. “Republicans need to have 51 Republicans voting to overturn a filibuster, and there are plenty of Republicans, at least 10 or 14, who wouldn’t do that.”
– And you’re one of them, right? he asked Fideri news network.
“Well, I don’t know,” McCormick said. “When I was on the campaign trail, I said we should never eliminate the filibuster. I was particularly concerned about Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico [becoming states] and the arrangement of the Supreme Court. That’s why I would oppose ending the filibuster.”
But people say Democrats will do it anyway if they take control, “which is probably true,” McCormick said.
“But I wouldn’t support eliminating the filibuster unless I knew we were going to do really substantial and significant things, because this type of thing. Once you do it, there’s no way to undo it.
“So it would have to be more than just the SAVE America Act,” McCormick said. “It has to enable reform. It has to be a really important program because it would invalidate a precedent that has created checks and balances for majorities and minorities.”
“It’s tempting, but practically speaking, it won’t happen,” he said.
