Senate Majority John Thune has been facing immense pressure from MAGA influencers, Republicans, and Trump to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship and ID to vote.
This centers around the use of the “talking filibuster” to pass the legislation, which has divided Senate Republicans and Republican leadership.
Punchbowl News is reporting today that for the first time Thune declared publicly that there’s no way for Senate Republicans to maintain the procedural unity required in order to pass the SAVE America Act via a “talking filibuster.”
- There are at least four GOP Senators who oppose or are leaning against the change to procedure, and North Carolina’s Thom Tillis says he will vote no on a measure to proceed to the SAVE Act if procedure is altered with a talking filibuster.
- Utah’s Sen. John Curtis is also opposed to altering procedure and says he would not vote to table future Democratic amendments if it meant changing Senate rules.
- As for the SAVE Act itself, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski is opposed to the bill, and Mitch McConnell hasn’t backed it yet.
Thune previously has worried that the talking filibuster would jam up the Senate for weeks, and would allow Democrats to force votes on other matters that Republicans are scared of — including an Obamacare subsidy extension or limiting Trump’s tariff authority — subjects that would be popular with the people and put Republicans on the record for opposing.
“We’d have to have 50 [Republicans] to defeat every amendment,” Thune told reporters. “And that’s not where we are right now.”
Thune is also privately frustrated with House Speaker Mike Johnson for his incessant meddling over the “talking filibuster.” Johnson isn’t directly confronting Thune, but is meeting with the MAGAsphere influencers to exert pressure on Thune. Johnson himself is working with a razor-thin majority in the House.