Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans lack the unity needed to deploy a procedural maneuver aimed at advancing the SAVE Act, with four GOP senators declining to back the effort.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged this week that Republicans are not unified on employing a “talking filibuster” strategy to advance the SAVE Act, a proposal requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and identification at the ballot box.
During remarks to reporters amid the ongoing government shutdown, Thune conceded that the Republican conference does not currently have the cohesion required to execute such a procedural tactic. According to a report from Punchbowl News, four Republican senators are unwilling to support repeatedly tabling Democratic amendments — a move supporters say would be necessary to force a vote on the legislation.
Thune cautioned that pursuing a strategy requiring Democrats to continuously speak on the Senate floor to delay action would demand near-total unity among all 50 Republican senators in order to defeat amendment efforts.
Among those declining to back the maneuver is Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is retiring at the end of the year. Tillis has previously taken positions at odds with some within his conference on immigration and key nominations.
Sen. John Curtis of Utah also voiced reservations, citing concerns about altering longstanding Senate procedures. “I’ve been absolutely clear,” Curtis told Punchbowl News. “Breaking the filibuster is breaking the filibuster. So the reason or method doesn’t matter; it’s breaking the filibuster.”
Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were also identified as declining to support the approach.
The SAVE Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship prior to voter registration and mandate identification for casting a ballot. Supporters argue the measure is necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections.
The “talking filibuster” concept was proposed by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah as a way to compel extended floor debate by Democrats rather than eliminating the filibuster outright. Under the proposal, Democrats seeking to block the legislation would be required to continuously hold the floor, while Republicans would work to table amendments and keep the bill moving.
Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute noted in Punchbowl News that Republicans regularly defeat amendment efforts during vote-a-rama sessions tied to budget reconciliation.
Lee and other supporters of the strategy have argued that if Democrats intend to oppose the election measure, they should do so publicly on the Senate floor.
However, some Republican senators have expressed concern about the political implications of repeated votes on Democratic amendments as midterm elections approach. As Punchbowl News reported, several GOP lawmakers said vulnerable members may not want to be seen opposing amendments that could be framed as politically popular.
For now, Thune indicated that without unanimous backing within the conference, the strategy cannot move forward.
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