Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated on Monday that he is unlikely to support President Donald Trump’s request to cancel the upcoming August recess in order to advance the GOP’s SAVE America Act. Thune expressed skepticism about the feasibility of passing the House-passed voter ID and elections bill, citing previous failed votes and ongoing opposition among some Senate Republicans, as well as the challenges posed by the filibuster and the 60-vote threshold.
Thune stated, “If somebody can show me how we get an outcome, how we get a result, how we get an answer to this, I’m all for it,” during a press conference at the Capitol. He also noted that the recess, scheduled to start on August 7, is a critical time for senators facing reelection in November to campaign in their home states.
Trump had previously pressured the Senate through social media and media comments to eliminate the recess unless the SAVE Act is passed or the filibuster is abolished. Several Republican senators have pledged to oppose a vote to leave for recess. The House began its August recess the previous week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “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.” He criticized Senate leadership and suggested that Democrats would act more decisively in similar circumstances.
Thune mentioned that during Trump’s second term, the White House had met with 20 Senate Republicans to discuss eliminating the legislative filibuster, but 15 senators opposed the idea. He remarked, “This is not an open question. It’s just a fact, and the facts don’t change.”
Trump also commented on Air Force One that his relationship with Thune was “fine” and that he had not considered replacing him as leader. Thune noted that he had not spoken with Trump for about ten days prior to a recent disagreement with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt regarding the same legislation.