WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014 Expressing what they described as a quiet but deeply uncomfortable concern, several Senate Republicans gathered behind closed doors this week to discuss the terrifying possibility that the SAVE Act might actually pass, accidentally resulting in the very election integrity they\u2019ve spent the last decade pretending to fight for.<\/p>\n
“This is an absolute disaster,” said Senate Leader John Thune to reporters. “If we pass a bill that actually mandates voter ID and secures the ballot box, what are we going to send our voters six panicky text messages a day about? We\u2019ve always said we support election security, but mandating ID is a bridge too far. What if people who aren\u2019t supposed to vote suddenly can\u2019t? We could lose our competitive edge.”<\/p>\n
For years, the unspoken agreement in Washington was that election integrity was a fantastic topic for Fox News interviews, strongly worded tweets, and campaign speeches, but under no circumstances was it to be translated into binding federal law.<\/p>\n
Democrats praised their Republican colleagues for showing restraint, with Senator Chuck Schumer saying it was refreshing to see establishment GOP members finally admit that they also like the corrupt voting system just the way it is.<\/p>\n