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John Thune, the Senate majority leader, said Monday that Republicans will not change Senate rules to push through the SAVE America Act, despite mounting pressure from Donald Trump to deliver the election overhaul legislation to his desk.
When asked whether Republicans would attempt to weaken or eliminate the Senate filibuster to pass the bill, Thune was blunt.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Thune told ABC News.
The legislation — a Republican-backed proposal to tighten voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections — faces steep obstacles in the Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to advance.
Trump intensifies pressure campaign
Trump escalated pressure on lawmakers Sunday, warning that he will refuse to sign most legislation until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk.
“It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president also suggested the possibility of using a “talking filibuster,” a procedural maneuver in which senators hold the floor with extended speeches and amendments in an attempt to force votes.
But Thune said altering Senate procedures to enable that strategy is not politically viable.
“If the result is only achieved by nuking the legislative filibuster, we don’t have the votes to do that,” Thune said. “That’s just not a realistic option.”
What the SAVE America Act would do
The SAVE America Act would make sweeping changes to federal election rules.
Key provisions would:
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Require photo identification at polling places
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Mandate proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections
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Restrict the use of mail-in ballots
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill in February, with support from only one Democrat.
But it faces strong opposition in the Senate, where Democrats say the measure could disenfranchise millions of voters.
Democrats vow to block the bill
Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said Democrats will not allow the bill to advance.
“The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people,” Schumer wrote on social media.
“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate.”
Possible vote ahead
Thune said the Senate could hold a vote on the bill once lawmakers finish work on a housing measure currently being debated.
However, without bipartisan support, the proposal is unlikely to overcome the 60-vote threshold required to move forward under current Senate rules.
Thune also warned that a traditional “talking filibuster” could drag on for weeks or months without guaranteeing the bill’s passage.
“Our time in the Senate is a finite resource,” he said. “It’s something we need to use wisely.”
Impact on other legislation
Trump’s threat to withhold his signature could complicate other legislation moving through Congress.
Among the measures that could be affected:
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A bipartisan affordable housing bill currently under Senate consideration
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Possible supplemental funding for the U.S. military effort in Iran
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Other bipartisan legislative initiatives awaiting presidential approval
However, a White House official said that Trump’s warning does not apply to funding for the Department of Homeland Security, parts of which have been partially shut down since Feb. 14 during a dispute over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding.
“If the Democrats do the right thing and pass funding for DHS, the president will, of course, fund the agency,” the official said.
Bills can still become law without a signature
Even if Trump declines to sign legislation, bills can still become law.
Under the Constitution, legislation automatically takes effect if a president takes no action within 10 days (excluding Sundays) while Congress remains in session.
If Trump instead vetoes a bill, Congress would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the veto — a threshold that is rarely reached in today’s closely divided Congress.
Thune said he hopes Trump will ultimately sign key legislation if it reaches his desk.
“I know he is passionate about the SAVE America Act,” Thune said. “But I hope at the end of the day that if we can move things across the floor here and put legislation on his desk, he will find a way to sign it.”
