Sen. John Thune reiterated he will not change the Senate filibuster, saying there “aren’t anywhere close to the votes” to alter the rule and rejecting pressure to use a talking filibuster for the SAVE America Act.
Thune’s comments echo remarks he has made repeatedly this year that the Republican conference lacks the votes to abandon the 60-vote threshold, a position reported by multiple outlets including NBC News and Punchbowl News.
Thune faced vocal disapproval from parts of the crowd at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where attendees booed him as President Donald Trump intervened on the floor to urge the audience not to boo, according to Newsweek and Mediaite.
The Dallas reaction underscored tensions between Thune and factions pushing for aggressive use of Senate rules to pass party priorities. Reporting from The Hill and Democracy Docket documents that Trump has urged Thune and other Senate Republicans to consider ending or bypassing the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act.
Thune was not listed as a featured speaker at the convention and spent part of the trip working the sidelines at a fundraiser, per the Washington Examiner, which noted he was expected to appear offstage rather than speak from the convention podium.
Analysts and reporting have framed Thune’s stance as part of a broader Senate dynamic: Reuters and NBC earlier this year documented that many top Republicans are skeptical a talking filibuster would produce the votes needed, and Punchbowl News called the idea “dead” in February coverage of internal GOP debate.
For now, Thune’s position keeps the filibuster intact while the party debates strategy ahead of the midterms, a line he has repeated to reporters and one that Trump publicly challenged as he pushed party allies to act faster on priority legislation.
Sources
- Newsweek — reported that attendees booed Thune in Dallas and that Trump defended him.
- Mediaite — covered Trump’s attempt to stop the crowd from booing Thune at the convention.
- Democracy Docket — reported Thune rejected Trump’s calls to nix the filibuster for the SAVE America Act.
- The Hill — provided context on GOP debate over using a talking filibuster to pass the SAVE Act.
- Punchbowl News — reported that a talking filibuster lacked support and was effectively dead.
- Washington Examiner — noted Thune was not a featured speaker and worked the sidelines at a Dallas fundraiser.
