U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate on March 24 regarding the ongoing debate over the SAVE America Act, focusing on voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.
Thune said that many Americans, regardless of political party, view these requirements as common sense. He stated, “If one thing is abundantly clear from polling, it’s that there are a lot of Americans out there – of both parties – who find voter ID requirements and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration to be pretty commonsense policies.”
He referenced concerns raised by a senior Democratic senator from Vermont about the difficulties some voters might face in obtaining birth certificates or documentation due to name changes or lost documents. Thune responded by comparing these situations to everyday scenarios such as signing up children for Little League or public school, which also require similar paperwork. He said, “A birth certificate is an extremely common requirement. And somehow, parents of all sorts of backgrounds and income levels have managed to produce their child’s birth certificate to sign them up for school.”
Thune also addressed claims that married women could be disenfranchised under the proposed law. He outlined scenarios where women would not encounter issues with voting if they had changed their names legally or socially and noted an affidavit provision in the bill designed to address any remaining concerns.
Throughout his remarks, Thune questioned whether opposition arguments underestimated voters’ ability to navigate documentation processes: “I am 100 percent confident that Democrat voters are capable of obtaining their birth certificate – if they don’t already have it – and producing a photo ID.”
Thune has served on several Senate committees including Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Finance according to the official website. He grew up in Murdo, South Dakota where he developed an interest in public service after meeting a congressman according to his official biography. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree from Biola University and a master’s in business administration from the University of South Dakota according to his official website.
Thune has held leadership roles such as Senate majority leader as well as previous positions like Republican whip and conference chairman according to his official website. He has won historic elections including defeating a sitting party leader without opposition while maintaining commitments such as term limits according to his official biography. Thune lives with his wife Kimberley in Sioux Falls; they have two daughters and six grandchildren according to information provided by his office.
In conclusion, Thune said Democrats should consider widespread support among Americans for proof-of-citizenship measures: “Poll after poll shows that Americans support proof of citizenship to vote and photo ID at the polls. Mr. President, perhaps Democrats should listen to them.”
