President Donald Trump on Monday called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to cancel the chamber’s upcoming August recess until senators pass a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill, even as Republicans currently lack the votes to move the legislation forward.
Trump has repeatedly urged Thune to eliminate the legislative filibuster, which effectively requires 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate, or find another way to approve the voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but Thune has repeatedly said they do not have enough votes either to pass the bill or change the rules to bypass the filibuster. The Senate is scheduled to begin its August recess on Aug. 7.
“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote on social media.
The post was the latest escalation in a months-long campaign by Trump and his Republican supporters to get the SAVE Act passed ahead of the midterm elections. A small but vocal group of Republican senators has also stepped up pressure on Thune to find a way to advance the legislation.
House Republicans have sought another route for the bill through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow voting-related funding measures to pass the Senate with a simple majority.
The House last week approved a budget framework containing $10 billion for voting-related changes aligned with the SAVE America Act. But Thune has said Republicans also lack the votes to pursue the legislation through that process.
Trump pressure comes at key time
The dispute threatens to complicate the Senate’s final legislative push before the August recess. Thune had planned to use the period to work on a long list of priorities, including government funding, cryptocurrency legislation and sanctions on Russia.
The August break is also an important period for senators to return home and campaign ahead of the midterm elections.
Several Republican senators are facing competitive races, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Ohio Sen. Jon Husted and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and are also facing broader political challenges, including an unpopular war in Iran, rising gas prices and persistently high costs for voters.
Thune has maintained broad support within his Republican conference throughout the year as he has resisted Trump’s demands. He previously kept the SAVE Act on the Senate floor for weeks in an effort to gain more support, but failed to secure enough votes to advance it.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who has led the Senate push for the legislation, increased pressure on Thune late last week, warning that the Republican handling of the SAVE America Act “could impact not only the November midterm elections, but also the Senate GOP leadership elections.”
“Leaders must lead. And if they don’t, they’re not leaders,” Lee wrote on social media Friday.
Frustrated by the pressure despite lacking a clear path to pass the bill, Thune has urged Trump, Lee and others to help secure the necessary votes. Trump said Friday that he would “certainly be willing” to help contact senators.
Asked last week whether Trump was frustrated with Thune, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “his patience is running out.”
The late-summer dispute is similar to a fight before last year’s August recess, when Trump urged Thune to keep senators in Washington to clear a backlog of his nominees. The Senate ultimately left Washington without an agreement after negotiations with Democrats broke down.
SAVE America Act would impose national voting rules
The SAVE America Act, short for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, would require Americans to prove their citizenship when registering to vote, mainly through a valid US passport or birth certificate.
The legislation would also require voters to present valid photo identification before casting ballots, a requirement already in place in some states.
Voting experts have warned that the bill could disenfranchise about 20 million American voters who do not have birth certificates or other required documents readily available.
Trump has made the legislation a top priority in 2026, saying it would “guarantee the midterms” and falsely claiming that election cheating is “rampant.”
He previously said he would not sign other legislation until the SAVE Act was passed.