President Donald Trump called on supporters to contact Senate Majority Leader John Thune about passing the SAVE America Act during a July 22 rally in Georgia. The remarks followed House approval of a bill combining the measure with a congressional stock-trading ban.
Trump told the crowd the Senate often stalls legislation and urged immediate calls to Thune. "Everybody call John Thune at the Senate, he’s the leader of the Republican Party, and tell him to get this stuff approved," he said.
Hours earlier, the House passed the combined bill 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans. The measure now heads to the Senate.
Democrats criticized the pairing of the election provisions with the stock-trading ban. Rep. Joseph Morelle called it a corruption of the original proposal.
Republicans cited a New Jersey software error that registered about 6,600 non-citizens to vote as evidence of the need for stronger safeguards.
