Senate Moving Toward Debate On Trump-Backed SAVE America Act

Sen. Mike Lee says momentum is building in the Senate to advance the SAVE America Act, a measure aimed at strengthening election integrity and citizenship verification requirements in federal elections.

Speaking Friday, Lee said ongoing discussions with Senate leadership have produced meaningful progress on how the legislation could be brought to the Senate floor and debated.

Lee, the bill’s lead sponsor, confirmed he has been working closely with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and members of his staff to explore procedural options that could allow the measure to move forward.

According to Lee, those talks have recently “turned a corner,” giving supporters reason for cautious optimism.

“Okay, important update on the Save America Act and the effort to get it passed,” Lee said in a video update shared with supporters. “Look, I am guardedly optimistic. We’ve turned kind of a corner over the last few days,” Lee said.

Hybrid Talking Filibuster Under Consideration

One of the options currently being discussed involves a modified form of the Senate’s traditional talking filibuster — a parliamentary tactic that requires senators opposing a bill to physically hold the floor and continue speaking if they want to block its progress.

Lee described the concept as a “hybrid” version of the procedure.

“What we’re coming up with is something that I think is best described as a hybrid version of the talking filibuster,” Lee said. “But look, let’s not get mired down in nomenclature. What matters far more than what we call it is what we do with it,” Lee said.

Under the proposal, senators who oppose the SAVE America Act would be required to actively debate the bill on the Senate floor if they intend to delay its passage.

Lee said the goal is to ensure the chamber fully debates the legislation before any procedural vote to limit discussion.

Keeping the Bill on the Floor

According to Lee, the strategy would allow extended debate before Senate leaders move to invoke cloture — the formal process used to end debate and proceed toward a vote.

“There’s been some uncertainty about exactly what procedure we will and will not be using,” Lee said. “In the end, we’ve been working closely with Leader Thune and his staff, and they’ve been great to work with,” Lee said.

Lee emphasized that the legislation should remain on the Senate floor long enough for lawmakers to fully address the issue.

“We’re going to bring it to the floor. We’re going to debate it for an extended period of time before filing cloture,” Lee said. “This bill needs to remain on the Senate floor before we file cloture for as long as it takes to get it done,” Lee said.

Praise for Senate Leadership

The Utah senator also credited Thune and his team for engaging in negotiations and considering multiple procedural paths forward.

“The fact that Leader Thune and his office have been willing to work with us on this is a good thing,” Lee said. “They appear open to a variation of that, and that’s encouraging,” Lee said.

Lee closed his update by urging supporters of the legislation to continue building momentum behind the measure.

“So let’s keep up the momentum,” Lee said. “Let’s put the bill on the floor and make those who want to filibuster speak, and keep it there as long as possible,” Lee said.

Supporters of the SAVE America Act argue that the measure would strengthen confidence in federal elections by ensuring that only U.S. citizens are able to vote — a principle they say reflects core constitutional safeguards for the integrity of the nation’s democratic system.