Senators headed for the exits in the predawn hours Saturday, ending a hard standoff without passing the strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill President Donald Trump wanted before the summer recess. The departure left his demand unmet and closed the session with the issue still hanging over the Senate.
That is why John Thune Senate GOP Support is being searched now: the question was whether enough Senate Republicans would stay put to deliver Trump a win before lawmakers left Washington. They did not. Trump had pressed them to remain in session, but the chamber broke up anyway after a crushing standoff over his demands.
Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was photographed talking with reporters outside the Senate chamber during a vote at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, a sign of how closely the fight had taken over the final hours before recess. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was photographed walking through the Senate subway during a vote the same day, while Bill Cassidy, R-La., was seen departing the U.S. Capitol before a confirmation vote for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Thomas Tillis, R-N.C., was photographed walking through the U.S. Capitol during a recess Friday, as the chamber moved through one more day without resolving Trump’s demand.
The bill Trump wanted would have tightened the rules by requiring strict proof of citizenship before a person could vote. Supporters have treated it as a test of whether the Senate would align with Trump’s political push before leaving town, but the chamber’s decision to head out anyway made the answer plain. For now, the Senate has stepped away without giving him the result he wanted, and the fight over the bill now waits for whatever comes after the recess.
