GOP divided on filibuster change as SAVE America Act lacks votes in Senate

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican senators acknowledged divisions within their party over whether to change Senate filibuster rules in order to pass the SAVE America Act, a proposal backed by former President Donald Trump to reshape US election rules.

Sen Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune had made clear that the party currently lacks the votes to overcome the procedural hurdle.

“I think the most significant thing that Leader Thune said was we don’t have the votes to break the filibuster, and I think he’s reflecting what I hear within the conference,” Capito told reporters on Wednesday, March 11.

The filibuster effectively requires 60 votes in the Senate for most legislation to advance, a threshold Republicans cannot currently reach.

Concerns over changing Senate rules

Sen Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming, said the reluctance to change filibuster rules is widely shared within the party.

She said Thune was not solely responsible for halting discussions about eliminating the filibuster to pass the bill.

“Members of the Republican Party in the Senate are not convinced that a talking filibuster can be used to pass this,” Lummis said. She warned that such a move could lead to significant delays in Senate business without guaranteeing passage of the legislation.

Cornyn shifts stance on filibuster

The debate intensified after Sen John Cornyn of Texas reversed his longstanding support for the filibuster, saying he is open to rule changes if necessary to pass the SAVE America Act.

Writing in an op-ed for the New York Post, Cornyn said evolving political circumstances had led him to reconsider his position.

“For many years, I believed that if the US Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,” Cornyn wrote.

“But when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt,” he added.

Thune says opposition remains strong

Despite Cornyn’s shift, Thune said most Republicans remain firmly opposed to eliminating the filibuster.

“Sen Cornyn is one of 53 Republican senators, and the opposition to nuking the filibuster runs very, very deep in our conference,” Thune told reporters.

Lummis also questioned whether the debate over the SAVE America Act would resonate with voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

She argued Republicans should instead prioritize economic concerns.

“What I think the Republicans need to be focused on is getting domestic prices under control, addressing interest rates, addressing housing costs, addressing food costs, addressing insurance costs, addressing airplane fares,” she said.

“And for crying out loud, what we should be doing, first and foremost, is funding the Department of Homeland Security,” Lummis added.