Former Rep. Pete King is telling Senate Republicans to stop wasting the August recess in Washington and take the fight over election integrity directly to the American people.
King, R-N.Y., said Sunday that Republicans should use the August break to campaign against Democrats over their opposition to the SAVE America Act rather than remain in the nation’s capital for a vote that does not currently have the numbers to pass.
"As far as the SAVE [America] Act, which is the reason why you would stay in Washington, the numbers are not there in the Senate unless they want to do away with the filibuster rule," King told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend."
That is the political reality Republicans have to confront.
If Senate Democrats are unwilling to support the measure and Republicans do not have enough votes to overcome the Senate's filibuster rules, simply keeping lawmakers in Washington does little beyond creating another opportunity for political theater.
King's argument is straightforward: take the issue to the voters.
The SAVE America Act has become a major election-integrity issue for Republicans, who argue that federal elections should have stronger safeguards against noncitizen voting and other vulnerabilities. Rather than allowing the issue to disappear into the machinery of the Senate, King believes Republicans should make Democratic opposition part of the 2026 campaign conversation.
And there is a political reason to do it now.
The August recess gives senators an opportunity to leave Washington, return to their states and explain to voters exactly where they stand. If Democrats oppose the legislation, Republicans can make that vote — or the refusal to support it — part of the public record.
But King also warned Republicans against taking the nuclear option of eliminating the filibuster simply to force the legislation through.
He said doing so could ultimately come back to haunt the GOP, particularly senators representing smaller Western states that depend on the filibuster as a protection for minority rights in the Senate.
That warning deserves attention.
Political parties have a habit of loving procedural power when they control the chamber and regretting it when they don't. Republicans may have the majority today, but Senate rules can outlive any single administration or election cycle.
For King, the smarter strategy is not to destroy the rulebook just to win one fight. It is to make the fight itself impossible for voters to ignore.
That means Republicans should leave Washington, make the case for election integrity, and let Americans decide who is willing to defend stronger safeguards at the ballot box.
Because if Republicans believe the SAVE America Act matters, they should not hide behind Senate procedure — they should put the issue directly in front of the people who ultimately decide who controls Washington.
