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Posted on 03/26/2026 6:17:35 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is facing a full-blown revolt from within his own party after floating a plan that critics say would quietly sabotage one of the most important election integrity bills in years.
Conservative heavyweights Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna are sounding the alarm, accusing Senate leadership of trying to pull a fast one on the American people by pretending the SAVE America Act can pass through budget reconciliation.
Their message is simple: it can’t — and they know it.
Luna went nuclear, blasting the maneuver as a deliberate dodge to avoid forcing senators to go on record supporting voter ID.
“The Senate is sidestepping the SAVE America Act,” Luna warned. “Under reconciliation, you cannot legislate policy — meaning the SAVE Act will get stripped. I will be a NO. Stop sidestepping America.”
Translation: this isn’t a strategy — it’s an escape hatch.
The SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, is exactly the kind of policy Democrats have blocked for years. Now, critics say GOP leadership is floating a procedural gimmick that guarantees it never becomes law.
Why? Because reconciliation rules are crystal clear: you can’t pass major policy changes through it.
Sen. Mike Lee laid it out bluntly.
Budget reconciliation is limited to taxes and spending. Policy provisions — like voter ID requirements — get shredded by the Senate parliamentarian under the Byrd Rule.
Even if Republicans try to sneak it in, Lee says the outcome is already predetermined: it will be stripped out and killed.
“There are a lot of things you can pass through reconciliation,” Lee explained. “The SAVE America Act isn’t one of them. It’s policy, not budget. It has basically zero chance.”
In other words, this path doesn’t bypass Democrat obstruction — it hands them an easy win.
Critics are now asking the obvious question: why push a strategy that’s guaranteed to fail?
Luna answered it directly — because it lets politicians pretend they tried, while never actually forcing a real vote on voter ID.
“They’re trying everything they can to get out of voting for voter ID,” she said. “It’s disgusting.”
For grassroots conservatives, the warning is clear: don’t fall for procedural theater.
If the SAVE America Act is going to pass, it will require a real fight — not backroom maneuvers designed to collapse on contact with Senate rules.
And according to Lee and Luna, what’s happening right now isn’t a path to victory.
It’s a setup for surrender.
Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee
"There are many things the Senate could pass with a simple majority using the procedure known as “budget reconciliation” The SAVE America Act is *not* one of them So we need to keep debating it as we have been—until it passes"
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Instead of Luna and Lee complaining, perhaps helping to get 60 votes would be more beneficial to the country.
The problem isn’t Thune. The problem is that it needs Dem votes to pass.
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL30862
the byrd rule is in section 313 of the congressional budget act of 1974
So how will they get 60 votes for it?
This was known about him before he became Speaker.
“Instead of Luna and Lee complaining, perhaps helping to get 60 votes would be more beneficial to the country.”
I don’t know about Luna, but Lee has been working his butt off to get this legislation passed. Thune is a roadblock.
They don't. Democrats will never agree to a bill that reduces voter fraud.
I see. What the vote count Lee has gotten? If he’s working his ass off then he must be at 57 or 58 votes then. Thune is trying different methods to get it through.
“This was known about him before he became Speaker.”
Yes, it was. It shows just how “conservative” the majority of Republican senators really are to elect someone like Thune. Passage of a voter integrity bill would be a no-brainer to any conservative.
I, AND MOST, knew Thune was a MISTAKE from the beginning.
The stupid party keeps being stupid!!
Voters gave the whole enchilada to the stupid party, and still, they can’t figure it out!!
“””So how will they get 60 votes for it?”””
In Mike Lee’s speech last night he spoke at length about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when there were only 32 votes to continue debate. At this point we have 50 or more votes to continue debate on the Save America Act.
As Sen. Lee said: “After enough time has elapsed, the opposition we finally come to the realization that their arguments against the Save America Act are not working and will vote to end debate.
The SAVE Act should have been prioritized WAY sooner than now.
Trump should have come right outta the box with it.
It is an essential law which must be passed.
Thune should move Heaven and he11 to see it happens-—whatever it takes!!! If not, get rid of him!
They’re blowing the whistle on it. They can’t do it alone. Stupid comment. I wrote my Senators. What did you do?
Funny - if I remember correctly, the Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act using reconciliation. Guess Obamacare wasn't a "major policy change"...
“Thune is a roadblock”
That Thune would offer a non-solution tells us everything we need to know about him.
It’s time to flush the 60-vote rule in the Senate, as a relic of the 20th century and prior. Besides, with a total of 100, the American people are better off if there is never more than 55 senators from any party at any time.
Luckily I live in the best state in the country so my senators don’t need prodding or hand held on this.
Not true, don’t need democrats or 60 votes to pass, just need to make Dems talk until they run out of steam, no DHS funding, nothing on senate floor until Dems give up. Thats how it passes. No one has th balls to run out the clock on the dems
It might not help this year, but it would in all elections in the future.
Let the SAVE ACT be decided by the people. Almost all republicans want voter ID, and so does a healthy majority of independents and a huge majority of democrats.
If there was a need for a constitutional amendment, this is it.
Take voter ID out of the hands of the politicians.
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