A group of Senate conservatives is pressing Majority Leader John Thune to keep lawmakers in Washington until the chamber considers President Donald Trump’s election legislation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Several Republican senators are threatening to withhold support for the Senate’s August recess unless Majority Leader John Thune brings the SAVE America Act to the floor, escalating an internal GOP dispute over election legislation and the chamber’s filibuster rules.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah launched the latest effort Sunday by formally warning Thune, R-S.D., not to count on his approval for the Senate’s traditional five-week summer break before the measure receives a vote.
“@LeaderJohnThune, I hereby object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August—at least until such time as the Senate has passed the SAVE America Act—and hereby request a roll call vote,” Lee wrote on X.
“Do not assume you have my consent. You do not.”
The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, establish photo identification requirements for voting and impose stricter standards on mail-in ballots. Trump has made passage of the measure one of his leading legislative demands.
Lee’s call to remain in session quickly drew support from other conservative senators who said election legislation should take priority over the scheduled recess.
“I stand with @basedmikelee. I will vote to stay in session unless we have passed the SAVE America Act,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said on X. “The American people expect us to deliver. They deserve secure elections.”
Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., who faces voters this fall, said she was prepared to remain in Washington rather than return to Florida to campaign.
“I’m serving because there are things we need to get done for the American People,” Moody posted on X. “The Senate needs to stay in session until we can get the SAVE America Act to the floor and passed.”
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., also urged Senate leaders to cancel the break, saying voters in his state have expressed strong support for the proposal.
“We don’t need a recess. Let’s pass the SAVE America Act,” Banks said during a weekend television interview. “It’s more important than taking a break, taking a recess.”
Republicans have already approved versions of the legislation in the House, but the measure has repeatedly failed to advance in the Senate amid unanimous Democratic opposition and questions about whether supporters can assemble the votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has denounced the bill as “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing that its voting requirements would improperly restrict ballot access.
The legislation has also encountered resistance from Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has said attempting to implement the changes before the midterm elections could cause unnecessary disruption, according to The Hill.
Tillis, who has opposed Trump on other issues, has declared the bill “dead” unless its backers can secure the 60 Senate votes required to defeat a filibuster.
Trump responded over the weekend by renewing his demand that Republican senators eliminate the legislative filibuster, arguing that doing so would allow the party to pass the SAVE America Act and other major priorities without Democratic support.
“The all Republican Senators! Terminate the Filibuster, which the Dumocrats will do as soon as they get the chance, and PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, and everything else, including the Budget, and upcoming Debt Ceiling. Do it now, before it is too late!!! President DJT,” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social.
The president’s statement added to pressure already building on Thune after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s “patience is running out” over the Senate’s failure to advance the bill.
Thune has rejected criticism that Republican leadership is responsible for the delay. He has said GOP senators do not have enough votes to abolish the filibuster and has argued that Democratic opposition is the primary obstacle preventing the legislation from moving forward.
The majority leader has also suggested that the White House direct its pressure toward senators who oppose the measure rather than blaming the Republican leadership team.
The dispute leaves the Senate facing a possible procedural confrontation before lawmakers depart Washington. Lee’s objection could force leadership to address the recess schedule directly, while growing support from Scott, Moody, Banks and other conservatives increases pressure on Thune to either schedule a vote or keep the chamber in session.
Whether the SAVE America Act can advance remains uncertain. Republicans would need either Democratic support to reach the Senate’s 60-vote threshold or sufficient GOP backing to change the chamber’s filibuster rules, neither of which had been secured at the time of reporting.
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