Trump tells Republicans to pass controversial SAVE Act 'for Jesus'

President Donald Trump has encouraged congressional Republicans to work through the upcoming Easter holiday to pass the controversial SAVE Act voting bill that has held up the passage of a new Homeland Security budget, saying they should push the bill through "for Jesus."

Trump told Republicans during a roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday, March 23, that any budget proposal to fund DHS, which has been shut down since Feb. 13 when Senate Democrats and Republicans came to an impasse over immigration enforcement, would also have to include voting provisions.

"Voter ID is part of homeland security and proof of citizenship is part of homeland security, so I think it should be welded in, I think it should be together, you should vote together," he said.

Several proposals to fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and address large-scale disruptions at airports have failed to pass, as Democrats continue to press for major reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota in January, and Republicans vote against bills that don't concede to voter ID changes.

Lawmakers are due to take a two-week Easter recess starting on March 28. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week, however, that if no DHS deal is reached, the Senate can be expected to cancel its recess. Trump seemed to echo this assertion in his March 23 statements.

"You don't have to take a fast vote. Don't worry about Easter, going home. In fact, make this one for Jesus. Make this one for Jesus, that's what I tell them," he said.

The lack of DHS funding means tens of thousands of TSA personnel have worked without pay for five weeks, leading some to call in sick or quit entirely. The resulting disruptions have ground some airports to a near-halt, while others contend with security lines that snake out into parking lots and last upward of four hours.

Tensions were heightened earlier this week when the administration deployed ICE agents to major airports to assist with the backups, although TSA officers have reported that the agents are instead causing more confusion and do not have the training to perform tasks such as operating X-ray machines and conducting background checks or pat-downs.

The SAVE Act, voting bill championed by Trump, would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast ballots, something critics say would hinder poll access in an attempt to solve the rare issue of non-citizens voting. The bill currently lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome Democratic opposition in the 100-member Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.

Contributing: Reuters