Senate Republicans Divided Over SAVE America Act

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has reportedly acknowledged that a portion of Senate Republicans hold such a strong disdain for President Donald Trump that they refuse to support the SAVE America Act, according to multiple sources.

During a private luncheon for Republican senators on Wednesday, it became clear that some senators’ opposition to Trump runs so deep that they pledge not to vote for the bill, irrespective of its details. This sentiment was echoed by several attendees.

The conversation quickly heated up, especially between Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who is the lead sponsor of the bill, and a few of his colleagues like Senators John Cornyn and Thune, who voiced their objections to Lee’s efforts. A source confirmed the intensity of the exchange, stating, “Oh, that totally happened.”

Yet, the majority leader’s office has dismissed these claims. A spokesperson for Thune said, “This is a baseless allegation and patently false.”

The incident was initially reported by Andrew Desiderio of Punch Bowl News, who described the situation as a “ball fight” among Republican senators, with Cornyn and Kennedy expressing concerns about Lee’s approach. They argued that Trump may have been misled into believing passage of the bill was feasible, causing friction among Republicans.

Lee, a strong advocate for the SAVE America Act, recently appeared on Fox News. When asked by former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany about the prospects for the Election Integrity Act, Lee expressed that he disagrees with some of his colleagues while acknowledging the bill’s prior passage in the House.

“Yes, that’s right, Kaylee, and I respect my colleague from South Dakota on that point, but I very strongly disagree,” he remarked.

Lee emphasized that, while they don’t have the usual 60 votes needed to close debate, Republicans still possess various options for moving the bill forward. He noted, “We’re 10 votes away from achieving closure, but there are other ways to break the filibuster.”

He believes the “preferred path” for advancing the Election Integrity Act is to bring it to the floor immediately since it already has majority backing in the Senate.

Lee suggested that if the majority leader commits to debating the bill until it passes, a significant milestone could be attained.

Furthermore, Thune addressed President Trump’s recent call for the integration of the SAVE America Act into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) during an appearance on Fox News. While highlighting various elements of the bill, Thune mentioned, “We have voted on the full version twice so far.”

He pointed out that despite the ongoing discussions, the bill currently lacks the needed Senate support, stating, “We only got 48 votes… obviously the only way we can achieve this is by overriding the legislative filibuster, but that’s not something we can do anywhere near a vote.”

The Daily Caller reached out to Senator John Kennedy’s office for comment but has yet to receive a response.