The Senate is expected to begin debating the SAVE America Act later today, putting President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority in the limelight amid GOP in-fighting and a near-certain failed vote.
Senators and aides expect to be working long hours this week and likely into the weekend. GOP leaders are looking to flip the script on their party’s internal divisions by taking the fight to Democrats on a bill requiring ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to set up a scenario that allows Republicans to largely control the process — including amendment votes — but gives Democrats multiple opportunities to deploy procedural hijinks.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the GOP leadership, told us she expects it to be “long” and “drawn-out.” But senators don’t seem to know much more than that, a reflection of how uncommon this process actually is.
“I was talking to the parliamentarian, I’ve been talking to leadership — like, how does this all go? I don’t think anybody really knows,” Capito said. “We’ll just fight it out and see what happens.”
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told reporters that Republicans “will fight [Democrats] all week” in their push for SAVE.
Bring out the Celsius. For messaging bills like this one, the majority leader usually sets up an immediate procedural vote that falls short of 60. That vote will still occur. But Thune is forcing a multi-day debate on the front end, with marathon sessions expected.
The process will allow the bill’s most fervent supporters to hold the floor for as long as they’re able. Many of them, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), are still pushing for the so-called “talking filibuster,” with the goal of preventing Thune from ultimately ending the debate by filing cloture.
Thune has said there isn’t enough GOP support to sustain a talking filibuster, which requires complete GOP unity against Democratic amendments in order to be successful.
That’s not deterring the bill’s biggest supporters, however.
“Once we’re on this bill, we must stay on it until it’s passed into law,” Lee wrote Monday on X.
On the floor. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) is pushing a package of amendment votes that reflect what Trump wants to see added to the legislation, including provisions on transgender issues as well as a significant crackdown on mail-in ballots.
But the latter deeply divides Republicans, many of whom disagree with Trump’s long-running crusade against mail-in ballots. Last week, Thune said states use the mail-in ballot process “pretty well” for voters who request them, adding that “ballot harvesting” is the real issue.
We also expect Democrats to force a vote on a war powers resolution for Iran, which will interrupt the SAVE Act debate because such motions are privileged in the chamber. And senators will need to stay close to the floor in case of unexpected procedural motions and quorum calls that Democrats can force.
