Trump Demands Senate Vote on ‘Save America Act’

Fox News’ chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Senate’s efforts to address pressing legislative issues before recess. President Donald Trump is pushing hard for a vote on the ‘Save America Act’, despite facing significant obstacles.

Senate’s Legislative Hurdles

The Senate departed Washington without passing the SAVE America Act, a key priority for President Trump, sparking criticism from within his party. Despite plans to stay until September to pass the bill, many senators left for vacation, leaving the act to be reconsidered next month.

Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, stated: “We’re not dropping SAVE. It’s a matter of time.” The legislative session ends soon, making time increasingly limited for passing bills.

Upcoming Legislative Agenda

The Senate will reconvene in mid-September to work on two major bills concerning cryptocurrency regulations and college sports funding, both postponed before recess. Another break is planned in October, ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Trump and the administration are focused on using the budget reconciliation process, typically employed to bypass filibuster, but internal concerns led to a pause on this approach. Senator Ron Johnson, who leads the Senate Budget Committee, is collaborating with Trump to propose a more effective budget reconciliation bill. Defense spending is also a priority, with calls to increase funding by $350 billion due to ongoing military needs.

Reconciliation and Voter ID Challenges

Republicans face challenges in passing elements of the SAVE America Act via reconciliation, largely due to the criteria set by the Senate’s rules chief. Defense funding inclusion and voter integrity measures remain contentious, with recent Republican efforts to pass a voter ID bill blocked by Democrats.

While Republicans achieved several legislative successes before recess, including a short-term funding extension and sanctions against Russia, the SAVE America Act remains unresolved. Debate over cancellation of the August recess was another point of contention, but ultimately not pursued aggressively.

Senator Lee reflected: “Would it have been better if we had passed SAVE America already? Absolutely.” Senator Johnson added: “Democrats refuse to vote for any kind of voter integrity measure, that’s just the reality.”