House Republicans are activating the grassroots to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.
The Senate is currently engaged in an extended debate of the voter integrity legislation called for by President Donald Trump. The bill includes requiring proof of citizenship to vote and nationwide voter ID. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is also heading up an effort to amend the bill to include other administration priorities such as protecting women’s sports from biological males who claim to be female.
Trump, Republicans in the House, and grassroots conservatives have been pushing the Senate to use the talking filibuster, a process that would circumvent the 60 vote cloture rule, to pass the bill. The extended Senate debate, however, is not a talking filibuster, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has argued Republicans do not have the votes to make the talking filibuster successful.
The slow progress has led House members to host events with grassroots leaders to discuss the need for this legislation and pressure the Senate.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., hosted one of these events with activist Scott Presler on Wednesday.
Fine’s virtual town hall attracted over 9,000 viewers. Some of the viewers included other conservative activists, such as Nick Sortor.
Fine said Presler, “made a huge impact in our elections last year,” and “is somebody who understands perhaps better than anybody what the grassroots wants because he talked to so many folks last year about the election and got a real first-hand view on the importance of honesty and integrity in our elections.”
Presler told the audience that the SAVE America Act “is what the American people voted for in the 2024 election, and now we demand and expect action,” pledging to “not rest until it is on President Trump’s desk.”
“To anyone saying that it isn’t happening, no, it is happening,” Pressler said of voter fraud. “This dilutes the American voice, the minority voice, the veteran voice, the people’s voice.
“Ultimately, I hope the Senate can get its act together,” Presler added. “If they are unable to pass legislation, we may lose our House majority.”
Presler stressed the sense of urgency: “I am on the ground every single day, and this is the single most important thing that people care about,” Presler said.
Other members in attendance, including Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, Rep. Brandon Gill, and Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Georgia, also stressed the need for the SAVE America Act.
“I agree with everything that Scott said here,” Gill stated. “When voters give us power, they expect us to deliver. When we make promises on the campaign trail, they expect us to deliver.”
“Voters do not care about our cane old Senate rules. They just want the SAVE America Act signed into law,” Gill continued.
Owens echoed Gil’s remarks and called on Republican voters to make their voices heard with senate republicans.
“This is a fight that needs to be picked by Thune,” Owens said.
“We need to highlight those senators who will not vote for, especially Republicans,” Owens added. “Every Republican should be put on record time and time again until they are hearing from all people in their state and are pushed to do something very reasonable.”
“Every excuse that they use is garbage,” Owens said of Democrat and Republican opposition to the SAVE America Act. “We know the Democrats are using this as a way to cheat their way to the top. Democrats rely on bad laws to keep this up, to fake that 90% of their state votes one way. “
After the live stream, Fine and McCormick hinted to The Daily Signal that Wednesday’s livestream was not the last effort from House Republicans and grassroots activists to pressure the Senate into passing the bill.
“Passing the SAVE America Act is not optional—it’s essential,” Fine told The Daily Signal. “We will not have a country if this does not pass. We cannot allow foreigners to determine the fate of our country.”
“We must get this commonsense legislation across the finish line to secure our elections and require photo ID nationwide as soon as possible,” Rep. McCormick told The Daily Signal.
On a separate call with The Daily Signal, Fine reiterated that he and at least 12 other Republican members will “not vote for any Senate legislation until the SAVE America Act is passed.”
