Kennedy Urges GOP To Use Budget Reconciliation To Pass SAVE Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is calling for a major tactical shift in the fight for election integrity, urging Senate Republicans to bypass a looming Democrat filibuster by passing the SAVE America Act through the budget reconciliation process.
Speaking from the Senate floor, Kennedy argued that the current path—a standard legislative vote requiring 60 signatures—is a "guaranteed dead end" given uniform Democrat opposition. Instead, he is pushing leadership to leverage the same simple-majority maneuver used to pass the landmark "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA) in 2025.
The Strategy: "Math, Not Magic"
With Republicans holding 53 seats, Kennedy noted that a reconciliation bill would only require 51 votes, with Vice President JD Vance available to break any ties. This would strip Senate Democrats of their primary weapon: the 60-vote cloture threshold.
The Model: Kennedy pointed to the OBBBA (Public Law 119-21), signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, which used reconciliation to enact massive tax cuts and $150 billion in border security funding.
The Goal: Incorporate the SAVE Act’s proof-of-citizenship requirements and national voter ID mandates into a new reconciliation package that also includes additional funding for ICE and defense.
Navigating the "Byrd Bath"
The primary hurdle for Kennedy’s plan is the Byrd Rule, which prohibits "extraneous" policy changes that do not have a direct impact on the federal budget. Provisions that fail this test are referred to as "Byrd droppings" and are stripped from the bill by the Senate Parliamentarian.
Kennedy remains undeterred, urging the GOP to enlist "the smartest lawyers in the room" to frame the SAVE Act as a budgetary necessity. He argued that the cost of administering elections and the federal oversight required for citizenship verification provide the "fiscal hook" needed to survive a Byrd bath.
“I’ve seen things pass muster that I didn’t think had a hope in hell,” Kennedy remarked. “You don’t know until you try, and we haven't tried.”
Leadership Skepticism and Pressure
While the proposal has energized the MAGA base, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has remained a "clear-eyed realist" regarding the math. Thune has prioritized a standard floor debate to put Democrats on the record, though he has not ruled out reconciliation as a long-term secondary option.
The pressure on Thune is intensifying as President Trump continues to label the SAVE Act his "top legislative priority," even threatening to block other must-pass legislation until the voting bill reaches his desk.
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