Trump and Thune differ on delaying August recess for SAVE America Act

What This is

• Trump has demanded the Senate stay in Washington through August until it passes the SAVE America Act.
• The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and would require photo ID to vote in federal elections.
• Some descriptions of the bill also include restrictions on mail-in voting and other election-rule changes.
• Trump has also urged Republicans to end the filibuster or work around it so the bill can pass with a simple majority instead of needing 60 votes.
• Thune has resisted canceling the recess and says he would only consider it if there is a realistic path to passing the bill.
• Thune and other Senate Republicans say the SAVE America Act does not have the votes to clear the Senate’s 60-vote hurdle and lacks Democratic support.
• A group of Senate conservatives is pushing to cancel the recess, and some Republicans say they would vote to keep the Senate in session over the bill.
• The White House has publicly criticized Thune, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Trump is “running out” of patience.
• The fight is happening as Senate Republicans juggle other deadlines and priorities, including avoiding a government shutdown and deciding whether to take up a House-passed $95 billion budget plan.

Why This Matters

• It shows how hard it is for any president to force Senate action when senators control the schedule and vote counts.
• It keeps election rules in the national spotlight, with a basic tradeoff between preventing improper voting and making voting easy.
• It revives the filibuster fight, which shapes whether the Senate needs broad support or can pass more bills on party-line votes.
• It could crowd out other late-summer work, including steps to avoid a government shutdown and decisions on a separate GOP budget plan.