GOP Considers Budget Reconciliation To Pass SAVE Act Without Dem Support

“I think that budget reconciliation, as I’ve said before, you have to have a reason to do it. And if we have reasons to do it—and we may, very well may—I think there are a number of our colleagues in the Senate—we just came out of a luncheon where this was discussed—and I think there’s a lot of support for a budget reconciliation bill,” Thune said.

Thune noted that Republicans have multiple legislative pathways available to advance the measure. He said leadership is prepared to consider using those tools if it ensures the bill reaches the finish line.

“We have two legislative vehicles, as you know, available to us, so we could tee one of those up. And that’s an option. And we’ll see—if that’s what it takes to get some of these things across the finish line, and we can do it with simple majorities, we’ll take a hard look at it,” he said.

Under the reconciliation process, legislation can pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the usual 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster. That would allow Republicans to pass the measure with 50 votes, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote if needed.

However, the process is limited by the Byrd Rule, which restricts reconciliation bills to provisions that directly affect federal spending or revenue. Items considered “extraneous” can be removed if they do not meet those criteria.

Sen. John Kennedy also voiced support for pursuing the reconciliation strategy to advance the legislation. He said Republicans should explore all available legal avenues to ensure the bill meets procedural requirements.

“I think we are, Mr. President—I know you are—we need to try to pass this legislation through reconciliation,” Kennedy said. “Now, you know how reconciliation works, Mr. President. It means we can pass this bill with 50 Republican votes and the Vice President to break the tie,” he said.

Newly minted Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated that discussions around this approach are already underway. He said Republican leadership, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, is actively working on a reconciliation framework.

“Lindsey Graham, the chairman where the reconciliation will funnel through, is committed to making sure we get reconciliation through,” Mullin said. “If that is in some form with funding ICE, possibly backfilling from the One Big Beautiful Bill, but also, more importantly, the SAVE America Act—there’s a framework that we can use through reconciliation, paying for it and putting in some of the policies that cost money,” he said.

“Because there’s nothing more important than the SAVE America Act. I mean, that’s what the American people want. Eighty percent of the population says they want only Americans voting—citizens who are registered to vote, citizens who have done it the right way,” Mullin said. “And I believe that everybody wants election integrity. So fortunately, Lindsey Graham has said that, through reconciliation, he’s willing to put the framework out for that,” he said.