Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Wednesday that Senate passage of the SAVE America Act should be "simple and straightforward," but he added that he opposes eliminating the filibuster to force it through.
Lankford said on "Carl Higbie: FRONTLINE" that requiring voter identification and citizenship verification is already widely accepted across the country.
"It is a simple and cut-and-dried case," Lankford said.
"It should not be an issue for any American to be able to say, we just have ID there, or that we verify your citizenship."
He noted that multiple states already enforce such requirements.
"The state of New Hampshire already requires a verify of citizenship to be able to register.
"The state of Arizona requires that you verify your citizenship.
"We have 36 states that require voter ID — this is not hard stuff."
The SAVE America Act, backed by Republicans, would establish nationwide standards for voter identification and citizenship verification, an issue that has remained a flashpoint in election integrity debates.
It would also place restrictions on mail-in ballots.
Despite his support for the bill, Lankford rejected calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster to secure its passage.
Instead, he said he would support a "talking filibuster" to keep the issue in public view.
A talking filibuster requires senators to continuously hold the floor and speak to delay or block a vote, rather than simply signaling opposition under current Senate rules.
"I am very willing to do a talking filibuster … continue to put [it] in front of the American people," he said, adding it would highlight Democrat opposition.
Lankford also warned that removing the filibuster could backfire if control of Congress shifts.
"The reason we still have voter ID right now is because we have a filibuster," he said.
"We don’t want this to one day go into the hands of Democrats, and they take out all voter ID everywhere in the country, which they most certainly would do."
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