Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday that Republicans do not have nearly enough votes to change Senate rules to advance the SAVE Act, a House-passed measure backed by President Donald Trump that would tighten proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voter registration.
Thune dismissed talk of lowering the 60-vote threshold that typically applies to moving most legislation through the Senate, saying Republicans were nowhere close to the support needed to overcome the filibuster by a simple majority.
"It's not just me not being willing to do it," Thune said.
"There aren't anywhere close to the votes, not even close, to nuking the filibuster," he said.
The comments came as Senate Republicans weigh options for forcing action on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
The SAVE Act would bar states from accepting and processing a federal election registration application unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
The bill specifies acceptable documents and requires an alternative process for additional evidence.
Thune said he supported passing a federal law requiring documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
He said changing Senate rules to create a pathway for the legislation "doesn't have a future," while leaving open the possibility of other procedural approaches.
One option discussed inside the Senate GOP conference is a push by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Lee's proposal would interpret Senate practice so Democrats would have to continuously hold the floor with active debate to block the bill, an approach commonly described as a standing or talking filibuster.
Thune has warned that such a move could tie up the Senate floor for an extended period and limit work on other priorities.
Other Republicans have cautioned against reinterpreting the rule.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said filibuster changes could reshape the Senate and risk eroding the minority party's ability to slow legislation.
"Filibuster changes, I think, change the Senate," Graham said.
"It may happen one day, but I don't think it's a good idea," he said.
As of Feb. 10, 2026, the House-passed SAVE Act is H.R. 22, which cleared the House on April 10, 2025, by a 220-208 vote and was received in the Senate the same day.
The Sen. Lee measure, S. 128, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with no further action shown.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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