House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) hopes Republicans “stand together” and Democrats “come to their senses” in an effort to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Johnson explained that he had been speaking with President Donald Trump and is aiming to push the SAVE American Act through another budget reconciliation bill, which he referred to as “reconciliation 3.0.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has failed to make good on Trump’s calls to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require an ID to vote and proof of citizenship to cast a ballot in a federal election.
“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,” Johnson told reporters.
.@SpeakerJohnson on Trump cancelling Housing bill signing: “We passed it three times in the House…It has been stuck in the Senate…He’s laser-focused on the SAVE America Act…you have to put it under reconciliation bill.” pic.twitter.com/0sdF8Lgppl
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 24, 2026
“We believe that if you create a grant program that ties it to reconciling the budget, and you allow blue states, if they come to their senses and they want to avail themselves of election integrity proposals and ideas and policies, they can draw down from a federal fund, and use those funds,” he added. “We’re willing to invest heavily in that, and House Republicans will put together a reconciliation bill, reconciliation 3.0, that will have that.”
“I talked the president through that in detail this morning, as I have in the past, and he said, ‘Can we do it?’ I said, ‘We can, if the Republicans will stand together.’ We’re on the line right now to defend it. So that’s what we’re going to do. The president said, ‘I want to see some progress on it.’ I said, ‘I’d love to show it to you,’” the speaker added.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), for one, does not agree with Johnson’s plan.
“The SAVE America Act cannot be placed in reconciliation, and I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid. Neither should you,” she wrote in a post on X.
The SAVE America Act cannot be done in reconciliation. Why would the same Senate that is blocking Voter ID all of a sudden magically change their mind to overrule the Parliamentarian? Not happening.
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) June 24, 2026
But the Florida congresswoman has been vocal about the failed leadership in the Senate.
It is 10pm and Thune just got unanimous consent (meaning not one senator objected) for the Senate to adjourn 19 days (July 13th) meaning the Senate is going home after tonight’s votes.
I will not be voting to re-open the floor until the Senate gets back to Washington. The…
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) June 25, 2026
Trump canceled a bill-signing ceremony on Wednesday, citing the need to pass the SAVE America Act, which he called a “National Emergency.”
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.