Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is facing backlash for his most recent plan for bringing the SAVE America Act to the Senate floor in an effort to ease tension with MAGA.
A handful of House Republicans, who have been leading the fight to pass the voter identification bill, are upset with the majority leader for scheduling a doomed vote on the measure next week. Hardliners in the House want Thune to skirt the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold to pass the bill in favor of a talking filibuster, which would require a simple majority vote.
“With all due respect, @LeaderJohnThune is gaslighting the American people,” Rep. Keith Self wrote on X. “He does not plan to force a talking filibuster, which means the SAVE America Act is dead on arrival in the Senate—no path to 60 votes, no real pressure on Democrats. ‘Full, robust debate’? Laughable! This is nothing but a show vote.”
But the criticism did not stop there.
“But Leader Thune will not move to break the filibuster to show what senate republicans support senate rules over saving America!,” wrote Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL). “This is completely performative and everyone knows it will fail under a 60 vote threshold.”
This comes as Senate Republicans are planning a marathon debate likely to begin next Monday or Tuesday. Under Thune’s plan, the 60-vote marker remains intact. Republicans will try to put public pressure on Democrats on everything from voter ID to unrelated topics such as transgender politics, issues that Trump wants to make a litmus test for the midterm elections.
Both sides would get time to speak in support or opposition to the bill, though Republicans control what gets brought up for a vote, and much of the strategy involves keeping Democrats on the defensive.
Some House Republicans have gone as far as to vow they would hold up legislation from passing in the lower chamber until the SAVE America Act hits Trump’s desk.
THUNE PLANS MOCK ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ TO CALM SAVE AMERICA ACT UPROAR
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) even called on President Donald Trump to hold off on issuing any new Senate endorsements until the chamber passes the legislation.
“We don’t have the votes either to proceed — get on — a talking filibuster nor to sustain one,” Thune said before his new plan was unveiled. “That is just a function of math. There isn’t anything I can do. I’m the one that has to be a clear-eyed realist about what we can achieve.”
David Sivak contributed to this article.