Representative Greg Steube accused Senate Republicans on Monday of blocking election legislation, sharpening a fight over the Save Act that has already stalled in the upper chamber. In a post on X, the Florida Republican wrote that the House passed the SAVE America Act over 2 months ago and urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to "nuke the filibuster and get it done."
The measure would require Americans to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections. The House approved the legislation earlier this year, but it has been unable to move in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority but do not have the 60 votes usually needed to overcome a filibuster.
The latest salvo lands at a sensitive moment for Republicans. President Donald Trump has made the SAVE America Act a top priority ahead of the midterm elections, warning that he may withhold support for other legislation until the measure reaches his desk. He has also pressed Senate Republicans to consider forcing a talking filibuster or scrapping the filibuster entirely so the bill can pass with a simple majority.
Thune has resisted those demands. The Senate leader has said Republicans do not have the votes to nuke the filibuster or pursue alternative tactics, and he has warned that changing the rules could destabilize the chamber and backfire if Democrats regain control. Democrats, who have uniformly opposed the bill, say cases of noncitizen voting are rare and argue the legislation could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Steube’s criticism was followed Monday evening by a separate attack from Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who wrote on X that after two weeks in recess, Thune was no longer considering the SAVE America Act. The back-to-back posts underscored the divide inside the Republican Party, with House conservatives pressing for action and Senate leaders standing by the filibuster rules that are keeping the bill from coming to a vote.
