REPORT: Senate To Bypass Filibuster For Vote On In style Voter ID Bill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated plans to bring the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to the Senate floor for a vote, potentially using a procedural maneuver to avoid the traditional 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster.
The announcement comes after a number of House Republicans, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN), indicated that they would move to block any legislation from being sent to the Senate until a floor vote on the SAVE Act was secured. Lawmakers had attempted to attach an amendment for the SAVE Act onto ongoing government funding bills, which is expected to end the ongoing government shutdown by funding all government departments with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS funding will be handled with a two-week, temporary funding measure in order to allow lawmakers time to negotiate on potential reforms to federal immigration enforcement.
After negotiations with President Donald Trump and Senate leadership, Rep. Luna told reporters Monday night that an agreement had been reached to secure a SAVE Act vote without attaching it to the funding bill.
“POTUS wants the SAVE America Act passed! Voter ID is number one,” Luna announced in an X post, adding that she had just left the White House.
“Today, Schumer said he wants mass amnesty for all illegals and to immediately stop all ICE efforts,” she added. “After speaking with many senators, as well as directly with POTUS, the pathway forward is through the standing filibuster. This would effectively keep the government open while allowing Republican senators to break through the ‘zombie’ filibuster and put the SAVE America Act up for a vote on the Senate floor.
Luna noted that the standing filibuster is not common in parliamentary procedure, “but it is one of the only mechanisms available to go around senators who want to block voter ID.” She went on to thank Thune for considering the maneuver, stating that he will “go down in history” if meaningful voter ID reform is secured.
BREAKING: Rep. Tim Burchett and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna say Senate Majority Leader John Thune will revive the “standing filibuster” to break through the “zombie filibuster” to vote on the SAVE Act, which will require proof of citizenship and Voter ID.pic.twitter.com/EauZoO5IwZ
— America (@america) February 3, 2026
The SAVE ACT, which has already passed in the House, requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections. It amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by mandating that states verify citizenship in person and prohibits registration without such documentation.
The bill also directs states to establish alternative processes for applicants lacking standard documents and enhances voter list maintenance to remove noncitizens.
If enacted, the SAVE Act would standardize citizenship verification across states for federal elections in order to crack down on noncitizen voting. States would need to update registration systems immediately upon enactment, without additional federal funding, potentially requiring adjustments to online, mail-in, and drive-through registration processes.
In order to bypass the filibuster, which typically demands 60 votes for cloture, Senate Republicans are considering a revival of the “standing filibuster.” This seldom-used, older procedure requires opponents to actively hold the floor through continuous debate, rather than the modern “zombie filibuster” that allows legislation to be blocked without any action.
If implemented, the bill could pass with a simple majority of 51 votes, which would include the vice president’s tiebreaker if needed.
RELATED: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Voter ID Requirements, New Poll Finds