Four Republican senators voted against an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La) to instruct the Senate Rules Committee to add the core elements of the SAVE America Act to a budget reconciliation package that could pass next month. The bill would ensure only American citizens vote in federal elections, require proof of identity, and eliminate early voting. Critics argue that the legislation was not drafted to pass the Senate under the budget reconciliation process, which generally prohibits policy changes with only minor budgetary impact from passing. However, Kennedy argues that it is worth trying to include the bill into the budget resolution. The Senate has debated the legislation on the Senate floor for weeks but moved off it this week to pass a budget resolution to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through 2029.