'Make it harder to even win elections': Vance accuses Democrats of plotting to rig rules against GOP

When asked about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act and why certain Republican senators oppose it, Vice President J.D. Vance said a majority of Republican senators support the act and don't have a problem with it, but are hellbent on worshipping dying institutional norms. "When the Democrats are, in fact, bragging that as soon as they get control, they're going to throw that stuff aside and make it so much harder for Republicans to win elections," he told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

Vance, who is promoting his latest book 'Communion', was discussing the Supreme Court verdict, which upheld birthright citizenship, and the importance of a legislative measure like the act to protect elections and citizenship at large. "What some of these Republicans are saying is they don't want to give up on the norm of the filibuster, this sacred Senate institutional norm that a few senators are obsessed with, including, of course, Mitch McConnell."

But the 41-year-old claimed that the Democrats themselves will get rid of it the minute that they get power. "The filibuster is going out the door. Unilaterally submitting and surrendering as Republicans, when Democrats are openly bragging that they're going to get rid of the filibuster, is just handing your enemy a weapon that they're going to use to strike you down. It's absurd," he averred, adding that there was a need to pack the Senate with "better" Republicans in the future.

The SAVE America Act is a bill that would set new requirements for federal elections: voters would need to show valid ID and proof of citizenship before registering, and mail-in ballots would be limited to cases involving illness, disability, military service, or travel. Supporters, including the President, describe it as a straightforward, bipartisan measure to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in American elections, and are pushing both parties to get behind it.

President Donald Trump has taken a keen interest in reshaping the American electoral process in his second term, passing a series of executive orders to usher in several changes after growing impatient with Congress's lack of progress. But he has had no luck with these orders, which have mostly been struck down by courts. For instance, one of his orders requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote was recently struck down, reaffirming the importance of the legislative route if he wants to reshape the electoral process as per his agenda.

In fact, Trump has been so firm in his stance on the act that he refused to sign a bipartisan bill, holding it hostage to get Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. He canceled a planned signing ceremony for the act, which aimed to increase housing supply and bring down costs. The act was a matter of national security, according to Trump, who said the country desperately needed it.