Speaker Johnson says he will push SAVE America Act through reconciliation 3.0
Key takeaways
- Johnson s remarks came shortly after President Trump canceled a signing ceremony for a sweeping bipartisan housing package, saying he won t sign the legislation until the Senate passes the voter ID bill.
- The bill passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to oppose it, leaving it short of the votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
- The only path, I think, to get that done, because you re never going to get seven Democrats to join 53 Republicans in the Senate to do that … you have to put it on a reconciliation bill.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Johnson s remarks came shortly after President Trump canceled a signing ceremony for a sweeping bipartisan housing package, saying he won t sign the legislation until the Senate passes the voter ID bill. The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot.
The bill passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to oppose it, leaving it short of the votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has repeatedly dismissed Trump s calls to eliminate or reform the filibuster in order to pass the bill.
Johnson said in a Wednesday press briefing that he spoke to Trump about how reconciliation, a special process in which Republicans can bypass the filibuster in the Senate, would be the only way to get the SAVE America Act passed.