U.S. Senate to hold marathon debate on GOP voter ID bill

Just the News ^ | March 15, 2026 | Thérèse Boudreaux

[ViLaLuz]

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to bring a Republican elections reform bill to the floor next week and kickstart a marathon debate that could potentially last days.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; filibuster; saveact; senate; thune; voterid

[ViLaLuz]

The move is an attempt to appease a vocal minority of Republicans who have called for Thune to revive the “talking filibuster,” which would require Democrats to hold the floor in order for the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to remain in force.

President Donald Trump endorsed the talking filibuster, but Thune has argued that there is not enough support in the Republican Caucus.

The marathon debate is unlikely to change the minds of enough Democrats to overcome the filibuster. But Thune and his supporters argue that it will at least force Senate Democrats to go on the record about why they oppose the House-passed SAVE America Act.

“I can’t guarantee an outcome on this legislation. But I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record,” Thune told lawmakers. “That they will be forced to defend their outrageous positions on these issues – and explain to the American people why common sense and the Democratic Party have parted ways.”

The SAVE America Act would mandate that Americans display a valid ID to vote in federal elections, require people to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and necessitate in-person voter registration for federal elections.

It also directs states to remove all noncitizens from their voter rolls.

Under the legislation, people would not be able to register to vote with only their driver's license, since noncitizens can obtain that. They would instead need to present documents proving U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or U.S. passport.

“Only American citizens should be able to vote in our elections. Period. This shouldn't be controversial,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said on social media Friday. “If Democrats want to block something that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with – be my guest.”

Democrats have dubbed the bill “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing it could make it harder for minorities, the disabled, and married women to register to vote.

Thune, however, called Democrats’ rhetoric “unforgivable” and “insulting.”

“Either Democrats are just reflexively opposing this proposal because it originated from Republicans, or Democrats believe that there are in fact people out there voting illegally and that it’s benefiting Democrats, and they want to keep it going,” Thune told lawmakers Thursday.

“I honestly cannot think of another reason to oppose something so eminently reasonable as requiring people to demonstrate that they’re eligible to vote – and that they are who they say they are when they go to the polls.”

[House Atreides]

This is the equivalent of LIP SERVICE by Thune. IMHO the ONLY possible way Thune can pass the SAVE Act is to go “nuclear” and have the Senate allow it to be closed by 50 votes.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Jim Crow in the context of voting was an effort to keep descendants of slaves from voting. Preventing immigrants from voting has the net effect of increasing the votes of descendants of slaves. It’s the opposite of Jim Crow.

[ckilmer]

thune is playing to lose. why?

[FreeReign]

But I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record,” Thune told lawmakers.

So what that the Democrats will be put on record. They don't care. And why don't they care? Because they will cheat to retain their seats.

This is our last chance and it appears like it may already be too late.

[wiseprince]

Thune is pretty useless. Trump is a man of action and is a man who seeks at solutions. With him there the fecklessness of the Senate and Congress in general is on full display. They are willing to lift a finger to save the Republic. Name a risk that they have taken in the last decade. Considering every election they scream about it being the most important election “of our lifetimes” it’s hilarious that now that they hold power they are doing absolutely nothing to defend the country to ensure that it’s protected even when they are not in power.

[fella]

The traditional “Standing Filibuster” is the only way to end this foolishness.

[jmaroneps37]

“This is the equivalent of LIP SERVICE by Thune. IMHO the ONLY possible way Thune can pass the SAVE Act is to go “nuclear” and have the Senate allow it to be closed by 50 votes.”
So what is your “insider source?” you obviously know more about how the Senate works than Senator Lee does.

[pepsi_junkie]

Step one would be for the GOP members to actually want to stop election fraud, but apparantly they are going to the old playbook of saying they support what they've always promised, yet finding reasons why it can't be done, even if they control those reasons. In other words, they say they want it until they can actually do it and then they just won't. Just like getting rid of Obamacare.

Thus, they support election fraud.

[KitJ]

Please remember to make a donation to FreeRepublic. Support this site with a few bucks a month. It’s very easy.

Monthly $5, $10, $15, $30 (dollar a day!), $100, $1,000. Knock yourself out.

There are hundreds of thousands of daily readers and posters (more?). If even 10,000 members sent ten bucks a month, the quarterly fundraisers could disappear before they even start.

[Iron Munro]

[House Atreides]

So what is your “insider source?” you obviously know more about how the Senate works than Senator Lee does.
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No insider source. I would absolutely LOVE to be proven wrong and see the SAVE Act become law after passing the Senate.

[Vaduz]

No democrats would vote for the voter ID bill it would be like shooting their base and never being able to brind it back to life.

[Joann37]

I’ll believe it when I see it.

[Tell It Right]

The traditional “Standing Filibuster” is the only way to end this foolishness.

Or end the filibuster.

[bantam]

Thune blows!! Traitor to this Country for no talking filibuster!
Tell me, is there any other way to look at this??

[ActresponsiblyinVA]

I think the Democrats should be on the record. It might not change a vote in their state, but it could impact voting in other contested states.

[Midwesterner53]

You could have saved a lot of words by just saying this is a sham and bogus to the core.

[be-baw]

There would have to be a constitutional amendment to actually pass something that worked. It would be a states’ right issue, and the Constitution as written clearly protects states’ rights.

[bobonthejob]

But from what is being said by pro Save Act side, the standing filibuster can be conducted without any need to change senate rules. Nuking the filibuster would require a change in senate rules. I don’t know, but the establishment is not going to allow a possibility of having fair elections.