The South Dakota Republican Party voted Friday to approve a measure to censure Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) after he failed to advance the SAVE America Act.
The official condemnation, posted by conservative activist Scott Presler, marks a symbolic disapproval of Thune.
Thune currently lacks the 60 votes needed to pass the act, which would require stronger documentation for people registering to vote that they are United States citizens.
President Donald Trump has demanded the bill’s passage, and many conservatives believe it should be passed, too.
Thune has been encouraged to change Senate rules to bypass the filibuster.
Some Republicans have criticized Thune as not fighting hard enough for the party, which led to his censure approval in South Dakota.
The submission for the resolution noted how Thune is failing in the Senate.
“His failure in regards to the SAVE America Act is his most glaring, and can not be ignored. It is for this reason that we, the elected representatives of the South Dakota Republican Party, find it regretfully necessary to censure South Dakota Senator and US Senate Majority Leader John Randolf Thune until such time as the SAVE America Act is officially signed into law,” the submission said.
The document stated that Thune’s failure “threatens election integrity,” “undermines US Citizen’s trust in the electoral process,” and that Thune has acted as a “roadblock” to Trump’s agenda.
The submission also called Thune’s inaction “unacceptable,” but also noted they are “regretfully” issuing his censure.
Debate over the SAVE America Act has intensified as supporters push for its passage, arguing it would protect election integrity, while opponents raise concerns about its impact on voters who may not have the proper documentation.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) blasted his own party Thursday, saying Republicans are wasting their time by not delivering on the bill. He also pointed out that Republicans won the election, yet they’re the ones “yelling election fraud.”
Republicans argued that the act is a basic principle of voter ID. Critics said the bill would create barriers for Americans who don’t have immediate access to birth certificates or passports, and argued that voting by non-citizens is already illegal, and documented cases are rare.
The submission in South Dakota also stated, “The necessity of the SAVE America Act has been demonstrated by rampant election fraud across the entire nation, most blatantly – but by no means limited to – California.”
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California held its primary election on June 2. Controversy swirled over the state’s election system after days passed without an official result. The gubernatorial race was called nearly a week later, with Xavier Becerra, former health and human services secretary, and Trump-backed commentator Steve Hilton heading to the general election in November. The Associated Press called the race one week after the primary.
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt lost the primary for Los Angeles mayor to current city Mayor Karen Bass and councilwoman Nithya Raman, who both advanced to the November election.