Trump demands Senate cancel August break until it passes the SAVE America Act

By — Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press By — Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-demands-senate-cancel-august-break-until-it-passes-the-save-america-act Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump demands Senate cancel August break until it passes the SAVE America Act Politics Jul 27, 2026 3:19 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune cancel the chamber's upcoming August break until senators pass a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill, even as Republicans lack the votes to advance it. Trump has repeatedly urged Thune to scrap the legislative filibuster, which effectively sets a 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the 100-member Senate, or find another workaround to pass the voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act. But Republicans hold only a 53-47 majority, and Thune has consistently said they don't have the votes to pass the bill or change the rules to get around the filibuster. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "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," Trump wrote on social media. He later insisted to reporters Monday that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader but said Thune has "got to get his job done." It's the latest escalation in a monthslong pressure campaign by Trump and others in the GOP base to pass the SAVE Act ahead of the midterms. A small but vocal group of Republican senators has also increasingly pressed Thune to find a way forward. READ MORE: What to know about how the SAVE America Act could change voting House Republicans have also attempted to create another path for the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow grant money associated with voting rules to pass the Senate with a simple majority. The House last week approved a budget framework that included $10 billion for voting-related changes aligned with the SAVE America Act. But Thune has said Republicans don't currently have the votes for that approach, either. Trump's pressure comes during an important period The fight threatens to complicate the Senate's final legislative sprint before the August break, when Thune had hoped to focus on a long list of priorities that includes government funding, cryptocurrency legislation and sanctions on Russia. The August break, scheduled to start on Aug. 7, is a pivotal stretch for senators to return home and campaign ahead of the midterm elections. Several Republican senators are facing competitive races, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Ohio Sen. Jon Husted and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Republicans currently hold a