Another week in American politics wouldn’t be complete without an elected Republican betraying constituents.
That’s what happened on Tuesday when Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced her opposition to the latest iteration of the SAVE Act. The bill (now the “SAVE America Act”) seeks to mandate widely supported photo ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements in federal elections.
In her “principled stand” against what she called efforts to “have federalized elections,” Murkowski referenced previous attempts by Democrats “to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021” — which she claimed “Republicans were unanimous” in opposing. She then tried to justify her cowardice by falling back on the Constitution, writing, “Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska.”
“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources. Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this,” the liberal Republican wrote.
As one of the few GOP senators choosing not to sponsor the SAVE Act or its successor, Murkowski’s (unsurprising) excuse is pathetic and laughable on multiple fronts.
For starters, the very next part of the constitutional provision Murkowski cited explicitly states that, when it comes to the administration of elections, “the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.” Surely it was just a coincidence that Alaska’s senior senator left that pertinent piece of information out of her tweet, right?
But let’s take Murkowski at her word for a moment and assume that she is genuinely opposed to having “federalized elections” in the United States. Does that mean she believes Congress should repeal the National Voter Registration Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act, and other election-related laws passed by federal lawmakers in recent decades?
Of course, nowhere in her tweet does Murkowski bother addressing those points. And neither should GOP voters expect her to do so anytime soon.
The truth is that Murkowski’s opposition to the SAVE America Act has nothing to do with principle or policy, but everything to do with protecting the status quo erected by the GOP establishment (of which Murkowski is a part).
Let’s say that Senate Republicans do force Democrats into a talking filibuster, in which the latter must get up and essentially talk about their opposition to voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements until they drop. And let’s say that such a strategy successfully results in the SAVE America Act’s passage and ultimate ratification into law.
If that were to happen, it would prompt conservative voters to begin asking the kinds of questions Murkowski and other RINO senators opposed to forcing the talking filibuster don’t want them thinking about.
Wait a minute. Republicans have had a Senate majority since January 2025. Why are they just now using the talking filibuster to pass conservative priorities? And why haven’t they used it before?
Moreover, if we can use the talking filibuster to pass voter ID, what other policies can we use it to pass?
Using the talking filibuster would open up the floodgates of conservatives finally realizing that they hold the power to influence the decisions of their elected representatives. That’s why “Republicans” like Murkowski will never support using it for even widely supported policies like voter ID.
The Senate GOP cannot have its voters viewing themselves as citizens who wield the power of self-governance. Their very political survival depends upon a complacent populace that is completely indifferent to the actions of their government. In essence, many Republican senators would rather lose control of the Senate to Democrats than lose control of the party to their voters.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Conservatives have always held the power to remove feckless GOP politicians at the primary ballot box and be actively engaged with their local, state, and federal governments. The problem is that too many of them have repeatedly chosen not to, opting instead to hand off their obligation to self-governance to a group of self-serving elected officials who hate them.
President Trump also deserves criticism for his role in endorsing the very RINOs sabotaging his base. Just Tuesday night, the president went out of his way to endorse the reelection campaign of Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., whose biggest priority as of late has been trying to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens in the United States.
The reality is that conservatives cannot defeat Democrats and their destructive agenda with both hands tied behind their backs. Unless and until they embrace what it means to be a self-governing people and root out the rot within their own party, the D.C. status quo will continue to remain the same.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
