Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)

[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1568-S1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will now resume legislative
session.
The majority leader.

Motion to Withdraw

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I withdraw the motion to proceed to
Calendar No. 311, H.R. 7147.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right. The motion is
withdrawn.

Motion to Table

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to table the Schumer motion to
suspend rule XXV.
Mr. SCHUMER. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
Is there objection? Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I noted the absence of a quorum.
I ask unanimous consent that I speak for 1 minute.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Democratic
leader be able to speak for a minute.
Mr. SCHUMER. I thank the leader for his courtesy.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, with this next rollcall vote, the
Republicans are tabling my motion to suspend the Senate rules to
provide a path to pay TSA workers. I will vote against tabling because
I want to see the TSA workers paid.
I yield the floor.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to table the Schumer motion to
suspend rule XXV.

Vote on Motion

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 53, nays 47, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 67 Leg.]

YEAS--53

Armstrong
Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NAYS--47

Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The majority leader.

Motion to Table the Motion to Refer

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to table the motion to refer the
bill to the Committee on Rules and Administration and report back
forthwith with instructions.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
The result was announced--yeas 53, nays 47, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 68 Leg.]

YEAS--53

[[Page S1569]]

Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young

NAYS--47

Amendment No. 4421 Withdrawn

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I withdraw Senate amendment No. 4421.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right.
The amendment (No. 4421) was withdrawn.

Amendment No. 4732 to Amendment No. 4420

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I call up Husted amendment No. 4732 to the
motion to concur with amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Thune], for Mr. Husted,
proposes an amendment numbered 4732 to amendment No. 4420.

Mr. THUNE. I ask the reading be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To require voters to provide photo identification)

Strike section 111 and insert the following:

SEC. 111. REQUIRING VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.

(a) Requirement to Provide Photo Identification as
Condition of Casting Ballot.--
(1) In general.--Title III of the Help America Vote Act of
2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 303 the following new section:

``SEC. 303A. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.

``(a) Provision of Identification Required as Condition of
Casting Ballot.--
``(1) Individuals voting in person.--
``(A) Requirement to provide identification.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as
provided in subparagraph (B), the appropriate State or local
election official may not provide a ballot for an election
for Federal office to an individual who desires to vote in
person unless the individual presents to the official a valid
physical photo identification.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--
``(i) In general.--If an individual does not present the
identification required under subparagraph (A), the
individual shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot
with respect to the election under section 302(a), except
that the appropriate State or local election official may not
make a determination under section 302(a)(4) that the
individual is eligible under State law to vote in the
election unless, not later than 3 days after casting the
provisional ballot, the individual presents to the official--

``(I) the identification required under subparagraph (A);
or
``(II) an affidavit developed and made available to the
individual by the State attesting that the individual does
not possess the identification required under subparagraph
(A) because the individual has a religious objection to being
photographed.

``(ii) No effect on other provisional balloting rules.--
Nothing in clause (i) may be construed to apply to the
casting of a provisional ballot pursuant to section 302(a) or
any State law for reasons other than the failure to present
the identification required under subparagraph (A).
``(2) Individuals voting other than in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law and except as provided in subparagraph (B), the
appropriate State or local election official may not accept
any ballot for an election for Federal office provided by an
individual who votes other than in person unless the
individual submits with the ballot--
``(i) a copy of a valid photo identification; or
``(ii) the last four digits of the individual's Social
Security number and an affidavit developed and made available
to the individual by the State attesting that the individual
is unable to obtain a copy of a valid photo identification
after making reasonable efforts to obtain such a copy.
``(B) Exceptions.--Subparagraph (A) does not apply with
respect to a ballot provided by--
``(i) an absent uniformed services voter, as defined in
section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(1)); or
``(ii) an individual provided the right to vote otherwise
than in person under section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Voting
Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (52 U.S.C.
20102(b)(2)(B)(ii)).
``(b) Providing Public Access to Digital Imaging Devices.--
With respect to each State, the appropriate State or local
government official of the State shall ensure, to the extent
practicable, public access to a digital imaging device, which
shall include a printer, copier, image scanner, or
multifunction machine, at State and local government
buildings in the State, including courts, libraries, and
police stations, for the purpose of allowing individuals to
use such a device at no cost to the individual to make a copy
of a valid photo identification.
``(c) Valid Photo Identifications Described.--For purposes
of this section, a `valid photo identification' means, with
respect to an individual who seeks to vote in a State, any of
the following:
``(1) A valid State-issued motor vehicle driver's license
that includes a photo of the individual and an expiration
date.
``(2) A valid State-issued identification card that
includes a photo of the individual and an expiration date
issued by a State motor vehicle authority.
``(3) A valid United States passport for the individual.
``(4) A valid military identification for the individual.
``(5) A valid identification document issued by a Tribal
government that includes a photo of the individual and an
expiration date.
``(d) Notification of Identification Requirement to
Applicants for Voter Registration.--
``(1) In general.--Each State shall ensure that, at the
time an individual applies to register to vote in elections
for Federal office in the State, the appropriate State or
local election official notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section.
``(2) Special rule for individuals applying to register to
vote online.--Each State shall ensure that, in the case of an
individual who applies to register to vote in elections for
Federal office in the State online, the online voter
registration system notifies the individual of the photo
identification requirements of this section before the
individual completes the online registration process.
``(e) Valid Military Identification Defined.--For purposes
of this section, the term `valid military identification'
means any photo identification card issued by the Department
of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
``(f) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect 1 day
after the date of the enactment of this section, and shall
apply with respect to elections for Federal office held on or
after such date.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
303 the following new item:

``Sec. 303A. Photo identification requirements.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Voluntary Guidance by
Election Assistance Commission.--Section 311(b) of such Act
(52 U.S.C. 21101(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) in the case of the recommendations with respect to
section 303A, the date of enactment of this paragraph.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment Relating to Enforcement.--Section
401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking
``sections 301, 302, 303, and 304'' and inserting ``subtitle
A of title III''.
(d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made
by this section shall take effect 1 day after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to
elections for Federal office held on or after such date.

Cloture Motion

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk for
Senate amendment No. 4732.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

Cloture Motion

We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on amendment No.
4732 to the motion to concur in the House message to
accompany S. 1383 with substitute amendment No. 4420, a bill
to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access,
and for other purposes.
John Thune, Jon A. Husted, John Kennedy, John R. Curtis,
Tom Cotton, Tommy Tuberville, Katie Boyd Britt, David
McCormick, Steve Daines, Mike Rounds, Cindy Hyde-Smith,
Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz, Bill Cassidy, Ashley B. Moody,
Cynthia M. Lummis, Joni Ernst.

Motion to Refer with Amendment No. 4772

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to refer the House message on S.
1383 to the Committee on Rules Administration with instruction to
report back forthwith with an amendment numbered 4772.

[[Page S1570]]

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Thune] moves to refer
the message to the Committee on Rules and Administration to
report back with instructions forthwith with an amendment
numbered 4772.

The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To improve the bill)

At the end add the following:
``This Act shall take effect 4 days after the date of
enactment.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays are ordered.

Amendment No. 4773

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the instructions.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk proceeded to read the bill.

The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Thune] proposes an
amendment numbered 4773 to the instructions of the motion to
refer.

Mr. THUNE. I ask that the reading be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To improve the bill)

Strike ``4 days'' and insert ``5 days''

Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays are ordered.

Amendment No. 4774 to Amendment No. 4773

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the
desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Thune] proposes an
amendment numbered 4774 to amendment No. 4773.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask that the reading be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To improve the bill)

Strike ``5 days'' and insert ``6 days''

____________________