After the 2024 elections, Republicans managed to build a decent majority in the Senate, though it was still far short of the 60-vote filibuster threshhold.
As such, Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has had difficulty in getting much of what Republican and even Democrat voters want passed, including the very popular SAVE America Act.
The bill contains a number of election security and integrity provisions like requiring proof of citizenship and a government-issued ID to vote. It’s been a priority of President Trump’s for a year.
Now, finally, as the midterm election cycle approaches, the measure could be on the precipice of passage, though it may take Vice President JD Vance’s tiebreaking vote to make it happen.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Senate Republicans are working through the weekend to restructure the SAVE America Act in an effort to advance the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, allowing it to pass with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes typically required to overcome a filibuster.
Appearing on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda,” Hoeven said the House-passed budget resolution provides the Senate with a procedural path to bypass the filibuster, provided the bill’s voter identification provisions comply with Senate reconciliation rules and survive review by the Senate parliamentarian.
“We’re in session this week, and we’re working on it,” he said.
“The key is that we get that passed. We can do that with 51 votes, which is why we’re working so hard to do it,” he added, per the outlet.
The procedural strategy is significant because previous attempts to advance the legislation through the normal legislative process were blocked by Senate Democrats.
By using the budget reconciliation process, Republicans could avoid the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Hoeven said the goal is to craft a version of the bill that can secure support from a simple majority—51 senators, or 50 votes with the vice president casting the tie-breaking vote.
“That is the key. That is exactly what we’re working on in order to get, you know, to the 51-vote threshold so we can pass it,” he said.
The procedural strategy is significant because previous attempts to advance the legislation through the normal legislative process were blocked by Senate Democrats.
By using the budget reconciliation process, Republicans could avoid the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Hoeven said the goal is to craft a version of the bill that can secure support from a simple majority—51 senators, or 50 votes with the vice president casting the tie-breaking vote.
The Senate’s procedural decisions are guided by Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who was appointed to the position in 2012 by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and has remained in the role under subsequent Republican and Democratic majorities.
Earlier this year, MacDonough advised that key provisions of the SAVE America Act did not comply with the Senate’s reconciliation rules, a determination that prompted President Donald Trump to call for her removal.
When asked why MacDonough remains in the position, Hoeven said the matter is governed by Senate procedures.
“The key here is that we are putting it together in a way where, with 51 votes, we can do it so that it would not be subject to a rule or to being stopped by the parliamentarian,” the North Dakota Republican said.
“That’s the whole point.”
Hoeven said the legislation is being revised through the Senate committees with jurisdiction over its various provisions to ensure it complies with the chamber’s reconciliation rules.
If the Senate approves the revised measure, it would then return to the House of Representatives for final consideration.
“They actually move the bill and send the bill back to us, and we would pass it. So that’s the process, and that’s what we’re working on to get it done,” he told Newsmax.
