Senate Majority Chief Thune guarantees vote on SAVE America Act voter ID invoice

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Senate Majority Chief John Thune , R-S.D., is able to put Senate Democrats to the take a look at on voter ID laws.

The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has earned the backing of fifty Senate Republicans, together with Thune, which is sufficient to break by a key procedural hurdle.

Whether or not it might go from the Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is, for now, an unlikely state of affairs if lawmakers take the standard path within the higher chamber. Nonetheless, Thune needs to place Democrats on the spot as midterm elections creep nearer.

"We could have a vote," Thune advised Fox Information Digital.

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Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., advised Fox Information Digital that the SAVE America Act, voter ID laws backed by President Donald Trump, would get a vote within the Senate. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Pictures)

His feedback got here as he crisscrossed his house state of South Dakota, the place he and Republicans of their respective states are out promoting their legislative achievements as major season quick approaches.

Thune considered the chance of a flooring vote as a method to have Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., and his caucus clarify to voters why they might block a legislative push to federally enshrine voter ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote.

"We'll make it possible for all people's on the document, and in the event that they need to be towards guaranteeing that solely American citizens vote in our elections , they will defend that once they should exit and marketing campaign towards Republicans this fall," Thune mentioned.

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Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and most Senate Democrats aren't keen to again the SAVE America Act, complicating the invoice's survival within the higher chamber. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures)

However the political make-up of the Senate will show a difficult path to navigate if Republicans need to go the invoice.

Although nearly all of the Senate GOP backs the invoice, with out a minimum of a handful of Senate Democrats becoming a member of them, it's destined to fall sufferer to the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

And Schumer has repeatedly made clear that he and nearly all of Senate Democrats view the laws, which handed the Home final week, as a software of voter suppression that might unduly hurt poorer Individuals and minority teams.

So Senate Republicans are their choices.

One, which Thune already threw chilly water on, is nuking the Senate filibuster. The opposite is popping to the speaking, or standing, filibuster. It’s the bodily precursor to the present filibuster that requires hours upon hours of debate over a invoice.

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President Donald Trump listens throughout a cupboard assembly on the White Home, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci, File)

Some concern that taking that path may paralyze the Senate flooring. Thune acknowledged that concern, having beforehand made it himself, however famous one other wrinkle.

"Lots of people give attention to limitless debate, and sure, it's one thing that would drag on for weeks or actually, for that matter, months," Thune mentioned. "But it surely's additionally limitless amendments, which means that each modification — there isn't any guidelines — so each modification shall be 51 votes."

He argued that there are a number of politically difficult amendments that would hit the ground that might put members in tough reelections in a tough spot and probably trigger them to go, which "may be very detrimental to the invoice in the long run."

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Thune didn’t shut down the concept of turning to the speaking filibuster, particularly if it resulted in lawmakers having the ability to really go the SAVE America Act. However within the Senate, outcomes are not often assured on politically divisive laws.

"I believe that, , this clearly is a mechanism of making an attempt to pursue an consequence, however I do not know that, in the long run, it's going to get you the end result you need," Thune mentioned. "And there may very well be a whole lot of ancillary harm alongside the way in which."