As election-year pressure builds, Senate Republicans are weighing whether to try to force a vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, using an uncommon procedure—while acknowledging the maneuver faces major procedural and internal-caucus hurdles. President Donald Trump called in his State of the Union speech for Republicans to pass the bill “before anything else,” a push that has intensified scrutiny of how Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a key GOP procedural manager, handles both Trump-aligned allies and Democratic resistance.
Thune, who has said he supports the legislation and that his GOP conference is still discussing how to pass it, said after Trump’s speech that Senate Republicans “aren’t unified on an approach.” In separate remarks, Thune also indicated the Senate is not yet ready to use the most aggressive path being floated inside the party—saying “we aren’t there yet” on the strategy being considered to overcome Democratic opposition.
One proposal gaining attention from Trump supporters is a “talking filibuster,” a throwback approach meant to bring the Senate back to a scenario in which senators speak continuously to block legislation. The Associated Press reported that Trump and others have pushed the idea as a way to bypass Democratic votes; under the approach being discussed, Democrats would need to remain on the Senate floor and give speeches for an indefinite amount of time to stop the bill, while Republicans would aim to proceed with a simple majority vote after Democrats’ speaking time runs out.
The talking filibuster plan also runs into limits on speeches: each senator is only allowed two speeches on a particular piece of legislation, according to the AP account. Supporters argue that Democrats would eventually reach their limits or quit, but Republicans and floor-watchers said the practical implementation could become more complicated once the details of Senate procedure and attendance requirements come into play. The AP described that Democrats could use procedural roadblocks, including restarting the clock for speeches if enough Republicans are not also on the floor—meaning nearly all of the 53 Republicans would need to stay in place while only one Democrat would have to keep speaking.
Even if the first filibuster is broken, Republicans still face another procedural obstacle in an election year: the AP reported that Democrats could offer an unlimited number of amendments, which would create additional rounds of speeches and hard votes. In that context, Thune said, “We’d have to have 50 to defeat every amendment,” adding that “that’s not a where we are right now,” underscoring how close the margins would be if Republicans attempt to move the legislation on a party-line basis while absorbing amendment pressure.
Republicans also showed internal caution about the potential consequences of trying to escalate debate. AP reported that some Republicans have expressed worry that the procedural fight could lead to rules changes, with some warning that the Senate could eventually move toward “go nuclear” tactics that erode the legislative filibuster’s 60-vote threshold. At the same time, the AP noted that most Senate Republicans have said they do not want to lower the 60-vote threshold for ending debate on legislation, even though the threshold has been reduced for certain nominations, including for presidential and judicial appointments.
Several GOP senators indicated they support the bill’s goals but oppose the filibuster-breaking strategy. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said after Trump’s speech, “I agree with the SAVE Act,” but added, “But I’m not going to nuke the filibuster.” Sen. John Curtis of Utah said that “the reason or method doesn’t matter — it’s breaking the filibuster.” Other opposition within the GOP conference includes Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who has said she opposes the SAVE Act, and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who the AP reported has opposed similar legislation in the past.
In contrast, some Republicans who support the maneuver acknowledged the difficult reality of mounting a successful talking filibuster. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, who supports the approach, said the strategy would require “a deep commitment among almost all of our members.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called the plan “hard but doable,” framing it as possible but dependent on broad attendance and discipline.
The underlying legislation would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate, and would also require photo identification before casting a ballot—steps that some states already require. The AP reported that the House approved the measure earlier this month on a mostly party-line vote of 218-213. Republicans argue the bill is needed to prevent voter fraud, while Democrats contend it would disenfranchise millions of Americans by making voting harder.
Voting experts cited by the AP said more than 20 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have readily available proof of their citizenship, and that almost half of Americans do not have a U.S. passport—figures that opponents say translate into practical barriers for voters. The AP also reported that critics say the bill could disrupt elections this year and confuse voters because some provisions would take effect immediately. Under federal law, voters in national elections already must be U.S. citizens, but the AP said there is not currently a documentary proof requirement when registering; instead, voters affirm under oath at the risk of prosecution that they are eligible.
The bill would also require states to share voter information with the Department of Homeland Security to help verify citizenship of the names on voter rolls, a step that the AP reported has drawn pushback from some elections officials over privacy concerns. Trump, in his Tuesday speech, described the bill as “country-saving,” and the AP reported he repeated false claims of voter fraud from his 2020 loss, saying Democrats “want to cheat, they have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat.”
MSI previously reported that Republicans were weighing procedural tactics on a voting bill as they faced pressure tied to Trump’s demands in the lead-up to congressional action in March. In the Senate, however, Thune’s comments and those from multiple GOP senators suggest the SAVE America Act’s path remains dependent on whether Republicans can agree on an approach that can clear procedural obstacles without triggering broader rules fights.