Moreno Says Senate ‘Old Timers’ Are Blocking Voter ID Bill Despite GOP Unity

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said long-serving senators are holding onto an outdated image of how the chamber operates, blaming that mindset for the stalled SAVE America Act, a bill that would require voter ID and proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Moreno made the comments Thursday evening during a roundtable with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow and Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle. An audience member had asked why the Senate recessed without acting on the bill and what it would take to pass it. Boyle pressed further, noting frustration that the Senate left for recess ahead of the midterm election without resolving the matter.

“So the hope is that again, what can we see early next year to you know, after the election, assuming you guys hold the majority, to see those changes implemented?” Boyle asked.

Moreno described the legislation as narrowly focused, requiring only that voters show identification and prove citizenship when registering.

“Two things. That’s it. That’s all it is. We actually put forward a bill that said, how about just voter ID? How about when you show up at the ballot box and I say, ‘I’m Alex Marlow,’ they’re like, ‘Are you sure? Can I see an ID?’ I’m like, ‘Nope, take my word for it.’ Or in Minnesota, by the way, when you could say, ‘Hey, all these people behind me, 20 people, I vouch for them.’ And then, ‘Ok well, you guys can all vote.’ I mean, that’s totally insane,” Moreno said.

According to Moreno, all 53 Senate Republicans backed a standalone voter ID requirement, while no Democrats supported it. When the proof-of-citizenship provision was added, three Republicans withdrew their support.

“Unfortunately, we lost three Republicans on that vote. Two of them are retiring, so we have virtually every Republican agreeing to the SAVE Act,” he said. “We need 60. We need 60 because that’s the threshold to end debate.”

Moreno explained that without changing Senate rules, the bill cannot reach the 60-vote threshold needed to end debate, and that eliminating the filibuster isn’t a realistic option either, since Republicans don’t have anywhere close to 50 votes for that move.

“And unfortunately, unless we end that rule or modify the Senate rules, we can’t make that happen,” he said. “Then you ask the question. Well, then get rid of the filibuster. We don’t even have close to 50 votes there. And again, why? Because we’ve had people that’ve been in the Senate for a long time, that cling to a view of what the Senate could have been, should have been, or was, but that’s not the reality of today.”

Moreno also pointed to a separate bill introduced the day before that would ban insider trading, which he said every Democrat voted against.

“We’ve got to take a look at the rules. But look, we put forward a bill yesterday that would ban insider trading. Think about that for a second. What do you mean ban that we allow insider trading? Yes, we do. This bill would ban it. Every Democrat voted against it.”

Moreno argued these votes illustrate why conservative media coverage matters, saying outlets should be questioning Democrats directly about their opposition to measures like the insider trading ban and voter identification requirements.

“This is why President Trump gets so angry at the media because they’re covering just the wrong things. They should be putting microphones in Democrats’ faces and go, ‘How would you vote against a bill that would ban insider trading? How do you vote against a bill that says you just have to prove who you are when you vote?'” Moreno said.