President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Republican senators to delay their summer recess, pass sweeping election legislation and consider abolishing the filibuster to advance the party’s broader agenda.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to keep senators in Washington until they approve the SAVE America Act, declaring Monday that the chamber should not leave for its summer recess without acting on the election legislation or eliminating the filibuster altogether.
Trump’s demand adds White House pressure to a growing effort by conservative senators who say the chamber’s traditional August break should be postponed until lawmakers vote on the measure.
“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster.”
The president also argued that Democrats would abolish the Senate’s legislative filibuster immediately if they regained control of the chamber.
“The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership. Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!” Trump wrote.
The SAVE America Act would require applicants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, establish photo identification requirements for voting and strengthen restrictions governing mail-in ballots.
House Republicans have approved versions of the legislation, but the proposal has repeatedly failed to advance in the Senate, where Democrats have remained unanimously opposed.
Trump has made the bill a major legislative priority and has repeatedly urged Republican leaders to change Senate rules if necessary to move it forward. He has argued that ending the filibuster would also allow the GOP to approve a federal budget and address the approaching debt ceiling without needing Democratic support.
Thune, R-S.D., has resisted those demands, saying Republicans do not have enough votes within their own conference to eliminate the filibuster. He has maintained that Democratic opposition, rather than inaction by GOP leadership, is preventing the election bill from advancing.
The dispute has intensified as several Republican senators publicly demand that the chamber remain in session.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Sunday that he would object to allowing the Senate to begin its August recess before lawmakers act on the SAVE America Act.
“@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,” Lee wrote as Republican senators pressed their case on X.
Lee’s effort has received support from Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody of Florida and Jim Banks of Indiana. The lawmakers have said election security should take precedence over the scheduled break and that Congress should remain in Washington until the legislation reaches the Senate floor.
The conservative push presents Thune with a procedural and political challenge as senators prepare to leave the capital. Opposition from even a small group of Republicans could complicate efforts to move the chamber into recess without addressing the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has characterized the SAVE America Act as “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing that its voter registration and identification provisions would restrict access to the ballot.
The proposal has also faced skepticism from within the Republican conference. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said the legislation lacks the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster and has declared it effectively “dead” without bipartisan support, according to The Hill.
Under current Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to end debate and proceed to final passage. Republicans could bypass that threshold only by obtaining Democratic support, changing the chamber’s rules or finding another procedural route available for limited categories of legislation.
Trump has rejected the argument that preserving the filibuster protects Republicans when they are in the minority. He contends that Democrats will eliminate the rule when it becomes politically advantageous and that Republicans should act first while they retain control.
Thune has continued to defend the existing rules and has suggested that the White House focus its criticism on senators who refuse to support the SAVE America Act rather than Republican leadership.
The disagreement has also drawn a warning from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who recently said Trump’s “patience is running out” over the Senate’s failure to advance the legislation.
The administration’s latest intervention leaves Republican senators weighing whether to delay their summer break, force a vote on a bill that currently lacks sufficient support or reopen the larger dispute over the future of the legislative filibuster.
Original article
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