{"id":4612,"date":"2026-07-16T10:07:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4612"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:07:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:07:06","slug":"exclusive-john-thune-tells-the-post-about-potential-breakthrough-on-save-america-act-led-by-lindsey-graham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4612","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | John Thune tells The Post about potential breakthrough on SAVE America Act \u2014 led by Lindsey Graham"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Post that Republicans may finally have a viable strategy to pass the SAVE America Act and speculated on the breakthrough Sen. Lindsey Graham told President Trump about before his death.<\/p>\n

Read more Miranda Devine: The Dems\u2019 attempt to become the party of \u2018manly men\u2019 proves they\u2019re getting dumb and dumber<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump claimed on \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Sunday that during his final phone call with Graham (R-SC), the late senator told him, \u201cWe\u2019re all set for\u00a0the\u00a0SAVE America Act,\u201d but the president didn\u2019t specify how.<\/p>\n

Republicans have repeatedly tried to jam the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote and other election reforms, through the Senate, but have consistently failed due to a Democratic filibuster. The SAVE America Act is Trump\u2019s top legislative priority this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps what Lindsey was talking to the president about \u2014 I don\u2019t know this for a fact \u2014 [was] whether or not there was an option for reconciliation, and there is a way in which I think you could [do that],\u201d Thune (R-SD) explained to The Post in an interview. <\/p>\n

Thune stressed that Republicans don\u2019t even have \u201cclose\u201d to the votes needed to nuke the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote threshold to overcome. And he contended there was no way of getting Democrats on board.<\/p>\n

In the past, Republicans have skirted around the filibuster using the budget reconciliation process, which is subject to complex rules and must impact the budget, to pass legislation such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. <\/p>\n

Many senators had long cast doubt on the possibility of using reconciliation to advance the SAVE America Act because it doesn\u2019t inherently impact the budget. But Republicans planned on attempting another reconciliation bill to beef up defense spending anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got to be principally budgetary, not policy-oriented. And if the budgetary impact is incidental to the policy impact, then you know it\u2019s usually ruled a violation,\u201d Thune said, alluding to the Senate Parliamentarian. \u201cI\u2019m not denying there\u2019s some level of subjectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more NYC\u2019s homeless camp chaos puts all of New York \u2014 and Mamdani\u2019s \u2018big plans\u2019 \u2014 in danger<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFiguring out a way to incentivize states to pass or to implement photo ID in their states through financial incentives is something that\u2019s been talked about as a possible reconciliation option,\u201d he added. \u201cHow you design or structure it matters a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham was deeply involved with discussions regarding reconciliation.<\/p>\n

A key reason why the SAVE America Act was considered necessary is that the Supreme Court shot down an attempt by Arizona in 2013 to impose a proof-of-citizenship requirement, concluding that states can\u2019t change the national voter registration form by themselves.<\/p>\n

The high court is set to take up another attempt by Arizona to implement a proof-of-citizenship requirement in its next term. <\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee rolled out a budget resolution for the measure, something that unlocks the reconciliation process once it has been adopted. <\/p>\n

The $95 billion blueprint includes $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion in farm aid, and $10 billion in grants to advance elements of the SAVE America Act.<\/p>\n

It has been dubbed reconciliation 3.0, but faces a very tricky path through Congress due to early skepticism from deficit hawks within the GOP.<\/p>\n

Read more Missouri teen Gabbriana Boyster shot dead in home as mom makes horrifying discovery; 3 friends charged<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get it done,\u201d Thune said of the SAVE America Act.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Post that Republicans may finally have a viable strategy to pass the SAVE America Act and speculated on the breakthrough Sen. 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