Trump to meet with Senate Republicans amid tension over SAVE America Act
Politics
Trump to meet with Senate Republicans amid tension over SAVE America Act
By Kaia Hubbard Politics Reporter Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kaia HubbardJune 24, 2026 / 8:44 AM EDT / CBS News
Add CBS News on GoogleWashington — President Trump is set to attend a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Wednesday to push for an elections bill known as the SAVE America Act that GOP leaders have repeatedly stressed has no chance of passing.
"We're just going to talk about SAVE America. We have to pass the SAVE America Act," Mr. Trump said of the lunch on Tuesday. "So we're going to have to talk about that and many other things."
GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told reporters he invited Mr. Trump to attend the lunch, which he runs as leader of the conservative Senate Republican Steering Committee, because he was "talking to the president and thought he would be a good invite." He pointed to a handful of issues, including the elections bill, that he expects the group to focus on.
"The voters still want the SAVE America Act," Scott said. "What's our plan?"
The SAVE America Act has become a headache for Senate GOP leaders. The bill would impose strict new rules for registering to vote and casting ballots, among other things. But Democrats staunchly oppose it, arguing it would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. A handful of Republicans have indicated that they also wouldn't back it, meaning it would fall short of the 60-vote threshold typically needed to advance legislation in the Senate.
The math hasn't stopped Mr. Trump and his allies from pushing for the Senate to take it up anyway. The president, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and some conservatives in the House have pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to get the bill through. But the GOP leader has made clear that the votes aren't there to change the Senate's rules or execute a "talking filibuster," which would grind the chamber's work to a halt.
Earlier this year, Mr. Trump threatened not to sign most other bills until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. Last week, Mr. Trump said he wouldn't reauthorize a warrantless surveillance authority unless the elections bill was attached.
GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called the push to pass the elections bill "a waste of time."
"It's a distraction and it's not going to happen in this Congress," Tillis told reporters Tuesday.
The dynamic tees up what could be a contentious meeting between the president and Senate Republicans. Tillis said he expects senators will be "pretty candid" about the legislation at the lunch. GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota predicted that it would be a "good visit," though he noted that he expects senators will "get a talking to."
"But at the same time, we'll be able to convey back to him, and he's always been very good in a conversational way when he's coming to our meetings," Rounds said. "It'll feed back and forth, different members will feel more comfortable stating their positions, but tomorrow should be an interesting day."
Rounds made clear that "we don't have the votes in the United States Senate to pass it currently."
"The president is lobbying, he's making it very clear how important he thinks it is. I'm a cosponsor on the bill, I think it's important, but the numbers are not there," Rounds said.
But that hasn't stopped the president from pushing Thune to win over the conference on the issue.
"That's what being a leader's about," Mr. Trump said Tuesday. "John is a leader and hopefully he can get the votes."
Rounds said "Thune is correct when he says arithmetic still matters in the Senate," adding that "it doesn't mean that the president isn't going to continue to try to lobby hard to get every opportunity to have the different votes, but the outcome will remain the same."
The administration has appeared out of step with the GOP majority in recent weeks, with a number of poorly timed announcements that have forced Senate Republicans to adjust. Last month, the Justice Department's announcement of an "anti-weaponization" fund upended long-sought funding for immigration enforcement agencies. And just last week, the president threw a wrench in the upper chamber's plans to confirm his newest pick for director of national intelligence, which would have resolved an impasse over a lapsed warrantless surveillance program.
Thune, asked about the dynamic on Tuesday, said at a news conference that he and the president "at times have differences of opinion," but he added that "the issues that really matter to the future of this country and to the American people, we have been united on."
Thune said the question before Senate Republicans is how they can "optimize the chance to get as much done as we can in the amount of time that we have left between now and the midterm elections."
"I'm hoping that as we sit down and meet as a family, as a team, that we can look at some of the things that we all want to work together on to try to get done before this election," Thune said. "And there are things that I believe will create a record of accomplishment that our candidates can run on."
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
