by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Senate Republicans say they have enough support within their 53-member conference to pass the SAVE America Act, but overcoming a Democratic blockade may require reviving the rarely used “talking filibuster.”
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot. Republicans argue the measure is necessary to safeguard election integrity and prevent fraud, including double voting and noncitizen participation. Democrats counter that the requirements would disenfranchise minority voters.
To bypass the 60-vote threshold typically required to end debate, some Republicans are considering enforcing the talking filibuster — a procedural move that would require senators who oppose the bill to physically hold the floor and speak continuously. The tactic has not been widely used since the 1960s, when it played a role in debates over landmark civil rights legislation.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has cautioned that such a move could tie up the chamber indefinitely, consuming valuable floor time needed for other priorities, including housing reform, market structure legislation, permitting reform, artificial intelligence policy, and major infrastructure bills. “The coin of the realm in the Senate is floor time,” he noted.
Supporters of the strategy, including Sens. Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and Rick Scott, say enforcing the talking filibuster would not eliminate the filibuster but restore accountability by requiring opponents to publicly defend their stance. Lee has described the current 60-vote requirement as a “zombie filibuster” that allows obstruction without debate.
President Donald Trump has previously urged Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to pass election integrity measures, though Thune acknowledged there are not enough votes to deploy the so-called “nuclear option” to change Senate rules outright.
Democrats argue that enforcing the talking filibuster would effectively amount to weakening it. They point to their own failed attempt to carve out an exception to pass voting legislation during the Biden administration as evidence of how contentious such procedural changes can be.
For now, Senate Republicans continue internal discussions ahead of their return to Washington next week, weighing whether reviving a dramatic Senate tradition could provide a path forward — or further complicate an already gridlocked chamber.
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