Vance Says Trump Team Has ‘Wargamed’ Senate Maneuver to Pass SAVE Act
Vice President JD Vance says he and President Donald Trump have examined an array of procedural options for advancing the SAVE America Act, including a dramatic move that could put Vance in the Senate chair and remove the chamber’s parliamentarian.
Vance said the strategy runs into a basic obstacle: Republicans do not have the votes.
In an interview with Vince Coglianese released Tuesday, Vance said the White House had carefully studied possible ways to move the election bill through a Senate where it remains stalled.
“We have wargamed this to every detail,” Vance said, adding that he had wanted to pursue a more aggressive approach months ago.
One option would involve Vance, acting in his constitutional role as president of the Senate, taking the chair and removing the parliamentarian. Vance argued he has the authority to attempt such a move, but predicted enough Republicans would join Democrats to block it.
“Four, five, maybe ten” Republican senators could side with Democrats, Vance said. He described that lack of Republican unity as the central hurdle for Trump and congressional Republicans.
The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship and valid identification to register to vote in federal elections. It would also limit voting by mail, with exceptions for illness, disability, military service and travel.
Supporters say the requirements would strengthen safeguards to ensure that only eligible American citizens participate in federal elections. Opponents argue that new documentation rules could burden voters and limit access.
The bill has struggled to advance amid Senate rules that generally require 60 votes to end debate on major legislation. Vance rejected the idea that replacing the parliamentarian alone would resolve the impasse. In his view, the decisive problem is that some Republican senators would not support the procedural changes needed to pass the bill.
Vance said that if all 50 Republican senators backed the effort, Republicans and the vice president could potentially remove the parliamentarian, eliminate the legislative filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act. But he said he and Trump had already considered that route and concluded they lack the necessary support.
Vance named Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, John Cornyn of Texas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as Republicans he believes would oppose the maneuver. Those names reflected Vance’s predictions; his comments did not establish that the senators had formally announced how they would vote on the specific proposal.
Vance’s criticism was not limited to Democrats. He took aim at what he called “mediocre Republican senators” as he discussed the difficulty of advancing Trump’s election legislation.
Removing the parliamentarian would be an extraordinary move. The parliamentarian advises the presiding officer on Senate rules and precedents but does not decide whether legislation passes. Senators can overturn procedural rulings if they have enough votes.
Eliminating or significantly weakening the legislative filibuster would carry broader consequences, potentially allowing a Senate majority to pass legislation without the 60 votes ordinarily required to end debate.
Vance said both proposals ultimately face the same constraint: a lack of votes. He repeated, “We have wargamed this to every detail,” and said the administration believes an immediate showdown would fail because several Republicans would side with Democrats.
Other Republicans have also voiced frustration over the bill’s prospects. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said last month that Republicans lacked the votes to overcome Democratic opposition and the filibuster threshold. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has criticized the Senate’s schedule, arguing that repeated recesses have cost Republicans time they could have devoted to the measure.
Lee said senators had repeatedly promised to take up the bill when floor time became available, while acknowledging that debate could last weeks.