Senate Majority Leader John Thune is refusing to use a “talking filibuster” to force passage of the SAVE America Act, arguing that Republicans are not unified behind the tactic and that it would make it harder to end the partial government shutdown.
Despite Donald Trump publicly urging him during last week’s State of the Union address to use the tactic to advance the voter ID bill — formally known as the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — Thune has continued to resist.
When asked Thursday whether he would force Senate Democrats into a talking filibuster to bypass the 60-vote cloture threshold, Thune said the move would complicate efforts to reopen the government.
“If we were to go down that path, it’s very hard to pivot and get back to open up the government,” Thune told reporters.
He stressed that funding for agencies under the Department of Homeland Security must take priority.
“I frankly think we ought to — we need to make sure that DHS, TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, all those agencies, are funded,” he said, noting that Democrats are blocking funding in a fight tied to restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Thune added that negotiations with Democrats remain difficult.
“I’m hopeful there will be a breakthrough… that’s going to require some, you know, obviously cooperation from the Democrats, who we haven’t seen a lot of so far,” he said.
The majority leader also pointed out that a bipartisan housing bill is awaiting Senate consideration, warning that such legislation would stall if the chamber became tied up in a talking filibuster.
“That’s harder to do once you’re in the throes of a talking filibuster,” Thune said. “The talking filibuster issue is one on which there is not, certainly, a unified Republican conference — and there would have to be, if you go down that path.”
He explained that Republicans would need 50 senators committed to defeating every Democratic amendment, something he said does not currently exist.
“There’s just not support for doing that at this point,” Thune said.
When asked directly whether the SAVE America Act will be subject to the normal 60-vote cloture threshold, Thune acknowledged that it is “obviously” a “very real possibility.”
Thune has long warned that using a talking filibuster could backfire by giving Democrats an opening to force votes on their own legislation.
Sen. Thom Tillis told Punchbowl News last week that he would oppose moving forward without a clear path to passage that does not dismantle the filibuster.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Lee, a sponsor of the SAVE America Act, has argued that simply forcing a vote is not enough and that a talking filibuster is necessary to overcome Democratic obstruction.
