Thune, speaking Tuesday, said the Senate will take up the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, America Act as Republicans weigh how to respond to President Donald Trump’s demand for a talking-filibuster strategy. Thune said the legislation’s path runs into Senate arithmetic and that a “marathon talking filibuster” would not succeed because Republicans do not have the votes to carry it through.
Trump has said he will not sign other legislation until the SAVE America Act is passed. The bill faces unified opposition from Democrats, who have said the measure would cut off participation for voters who cannot quickly produce birth certificates or similar documentation.
Thune’s comments came as senators considered how to proceed after weeks of discussions among Republicans. He said his stance reflected what he described as a “function of math,” and he told reporters that “for better or worse” he had to be “a clear-eyed realist about what we can achieve here.”
Republican senators, he said, have discussed moving on the bill under regular procedure as soon as next week, which would require Democrats to vote on whether they support noncitizens voting in American elections. Under that approach, the legislation would likely fail, because Democrats can filibuster and because minority Democrats would require Republicans to reach 60 votes—while Republicans hold 53 seats.
The tension inside the GOP appears tied to both Trump’s pressure and longstanding resistance among many Senate Republicans to changing or eliminating the filibuster. Trump’s push for a talking filibuster would also place Republicans in the position of betting that Democrats would eventually tire of speaking, a gamble Thune said does not overcome the procedural hurdles for passage.
Sen. John Kennedy said senators have had “enough dithering,” adding, “It’s time to go and let the chips fall where they may.” Other Republicans pointed to debate that is lengthy but not necessarily designed around Trump’s specific procedural demands; Sen. Roger Marshall said he thinks senators should “just go ahead and try to get on the bill,” and Sen. Ron Johnson suggested senators debate the measure for an extended time rather than taking a “one and done vote,” saying their base would “scream” if the party did not.
Despite the push for some form of floor action, there was little indication of open conflict with Thune. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said eliminating the filibuster “doesn’t work” and warned that the talking filibuster would amount to a “goat rodeo.” Tillis described Thune’s approach as fitting the job he has in Washington and said Thune had taken on “a lot for the members.”
In parallel, senators are also considering whether the bill’s scope could expand beyond proof-of-citizenship requirements. Trump has said he wants additional priorities in the legislation, including a ban on mail-in ballots and provisions tied to transgender rights—such as barring people born as men from playing women’s sports and blocking sex reassignment surgeries for some minors. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday at the Florida retreat that House leaders are looking at “mechanisms” to do that, and Thune said the House would probably need to pass a new version to add those issues.
For his part, Sen. Mike Lee continued to argue for the talking-filibuster effort, posting on X that the Senate should “do everything it can in an effort to pass” the bill and saying failure would be the outcome if Republicans do not try. Even so, multiple senators suggested the party may pursue a more straightforward vote timetable—an approach that would still force Democrats to take the legislation’s side in public, while leaving Trump’s procedural plan without the votes Thune said it needs.
Thune’s remarks follow Trump’s continued focus on the SAVE America Act ahead of midterm elections, even as federal law already requires that voters in national elections be U.S. citizens. Democrats say the measure’s stricter proof requirements would still deprive some voters of the ability to participate, while Republicans argue the legislation is necessary to ensure eligibility in federal voting.
As the Senate weighs its next procedural steps, the question for Republicans is whether to align with Trump’s talking-filibuster strategy or to move the legislation forward under regular procedures—even if that means confronting the expectation that it will not clear the chamber.