Kennedy Urges GOP To Use Budget Reconciliation To Pass SAVE Act

Senate Republicans are facing mounting pressure to go on offense in the fight for election integrity, as Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) calls for a bold procedural maneuver to push the SAVE America Act across the finish line—without relying on Democratic support.

Rather than navigating the traditional 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster, Kennedy is urging GOP leadership to deploy budget reconciliation, a powerful legislative tool that would allow passage with a simple majority—potentially securing victory with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Currently, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has scheduled the bill under standard procedures, meaning Republicans—who hold 53 seats—would need at least seven Democrats to join them. Kennedy, however, argues that waiting on bipartisan cooperation is both unnecessary and unrealistic.

“That’s how we passed the one big, beautiful bill,” Kennedy said, pointing to past Republican successes under reconciliation rules. He also noted Democrats’ use of the same process in 2021 to pass the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan without GOP support.

Reconciliation, created under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, allows certain fiscal legislation to bypass the filibuster—but it comes with strict limitations. Provisions must directly impact federal spending, revenue, or the national debt, and must survive scrutiny under the Senate’s Byrd Rule.

“Anything you propose through reconciliation has to be paid for. We can find the money,” Kennedy said. “And anything you pass through reconciliation has to conform with the contours of the Budget Control Act. We call that giving a provision a Byrd bath.”

The process gives significant authority to the Senate parliamentarian, who determines whether provisions meet the criteria. Kennedy acknowledged the uncertainty but argued it shouldn’t deter Republicans from trying.

“Our parliamentarian decides what passes muster under the Budget Control Act and what doesn’t,” he said.

Still, Kennedy dismissed claims that the SAVE America Act cannot be structured to comply with reconciliation rules, urging leadership to think creatively and bring in legal experts to refine the bill.

“We have yet to try going to these smart lawyers … and saying, ‘Craft us a SAVE Act that will pass muster under the Budget Control Act and can be blessed by the parliamentarian,’” he said.

Drawing on his decade in the Senate, Kennedy emphasized that outcomes under the Byrd Rule are often unpredictable.

“I’ve been here 10 years. I’ve seen things pass muster — survive a Byrd bath — that I didn’t think had a hope in hell,” he said. “And I’ve seen provisions fail … that I thought were slam dunks.”

“You don’t know until you try,” he added.

The SAVE America Act—backed by President Donald J. Trump—seeks to implement stricter election safeguards, including requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, mandating photo ID at polling places, and limiting mail-in voting to defined circumstances such as military service or illness.

Supporters say the bill is essential to restoring confidence in American elections after years of declining trust. Critics, largely among Democrats, argue that cases of non-citizen voting are rare and warn that stricter requirements could create barriers for legitimate voters.

Frustration among conservatives has been building as the legislation faces procedural roadblocks. Recent rulings by the Senate parliamentarian—particularly on unrelated GOP efforts—have intensified scrutiny of the unelected official’s influence over major policy outcomes.

Kennedy, however, stopped short of calling for institutional changes, instead urging Republicans to fully explore reconciliation before conceding defeat.

“If this bill is as important as everybody says it is — and I think it is, because we’re not just talking about voting, we’re talking about the confidence, the trust of the American people in our elections — we should try it through reconciliation,” he said.

Whether GOP leadership adopts Kennedy’s strategy remains to be seen. But his proposal reflects a growing sentiment within the Republican conference: that advancing election integrity—and delivering on President Trump’s second-term agenda—may require using every procedural tool available, even if it means rewriting the rules of engagement in the Senate.