Sen. Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican in the Senate to publicly oppose the House GOP’s voting requirements bill backed by President Trump, warning that the proposal would federalize elections and disrupt preparations just months before Election Day.
In a statement, Murkowski said the Constitution gives states the authority to manage federal elections and criticized the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE America Act, for imposing one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington.
She wrote, “Once again, I do not support these efforts,” arguing that sweeping federal requirements could threaten election integrity by forcing state and local officials to scramble to comply without sufficient resources.
The bill would require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification to cast a ballot, and would mandate reviews of voter rolls to remove inactive voters. Critics say those provisions could disproportionately affect minority and low-income voters.
Murkowski said imposing new federal rules so close to the midterms risks undermining public trust in elections.
The House is expected to pass the measure this week. In the Senate, conservatives led by Sen. Mike Lee are urging leadership to change how the filibuster is used to advance the bill, potentially forcing Democrats to hold the floor continuously to block it.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been cautious about that approach, warning it could paralyze Senate business.
Democrats say they will block the legislation, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the bill voter suppression. Murkowski’s opposition underscores emerging GOP divisions over the Trump-backed push to nationalize election standards.
