Lee Calls for Old-Fashioned Floor Filibuster
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is encouraging Senate Republicans to revive the traditional talking filibuster as he seeks a vote on the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Lee challenges Democrats to physically hold the Senate floor if they want to stop the bill.
“Filibusters have become too easy over the years. Senators can block bills from anywhere—on vacation, at a bar, even while asleep,” Lee told Jesse Watters Primetime. “We’re simply saying that if you want to filibuster, you need to show up, stand, seek recognition, and speak.”
SAVE Act Seeks Citizenship Verification for Voters
The SAVE Act currently has over 50 co-sponsors, enough to meet a key procedural threshold. Lee insists there is no reason to stall the legislation and urges Republicans to force a floor vote if necessary.
“We need to vote quickly because Americans demand secure elections, and right now, they aren’t,” he said. “The criticisms from Democrats are paranoid fantasies. Our goal is to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. The SAVE Act accomplishes both.”
Democratic Opposition and Political Tensions
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has promised to oppose the bill strongly. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, he said, “We will not let it pass in the Senate. This proposal is outrageous. It reflects a political bias aimed at suppressing the vote among people of color and low-income communities who tend to vote against the MAGA right.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is using the floor vote as a political strategy to put Democrats on record, asking them to justify to voters why they would block federally mandated voter ID and proof of citizenship measures.
