The Scoop
Sen. Eric Schmitt is introducing a new version of the GOP’s voter ID and citizenship verification bill after consulting with President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the legislation.
In addition to requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID for voting, the Missouri Republican’s substitute amendment would fulfill Trump’s calls to expand the legislation to limit mail-in voting, gender-related surgeries for children, and biological men competing in women’s sports.
The new amendment would prohibit states from conducting federal elections by “universal vote-by-mail,” with exceptions for military, illness, or verified travel.
The bill text would also bar recipients of federal funds from allowing “a person whose sex is male” to compete in women’s sports, defining that term based on “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” It would add new penalties for the “genital and bodily mutilation” or “chemical castration” of children, with limited medical exemptions.
The Missouri Republican said earlier on Monday his proposals are “widely popular” and that he’s working closely with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on his legislation. The Senate is expected to take up a House-passed version of the voter ID and citizenship legislation on Tuesday, with a vote to add Schmitt’s new provisions coming later.
The underlying bill is expected to fall short of the 60 votes required to break a filibuster.
Notable
- The fight over the bill is straining Republicans to the breaking point as they split over the merits of the legislation and the future of the filibuster, we reported.