Senate conservatives, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), are pressuring Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to scrap the chamber’s traditional August recess, demanding floor time for the SAVE America Act—a sweeping election reform bill that President Trump has elevated to his top legislative priority.
Lee took to social media last week to warn Thune he would “object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August” until the bill passes, and requested a roll call vote to block the five-week break that typically runs through early September. He doubled down Sunday, posting on X: “The Senate doesn’t need a summer vacation as much as the country needs the SAVE America Act. Let’s cancel recess.”
Several other Senate Republicans echoed Lee’s call, even though at least three GOP incumbents—Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)—face tough reelection races and could benefit from campaigning at home. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) posted, “I stand with @basedmikelee. I will vote to stay in session unless we have passed the SAVE America Act. The American people expect us to deliver. They deserve secure elections.”
Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), who is up for reelection this November, said she would prefer to stay in Washington rather than return to Florida for extended constituent meetings. “I didn’t come to the United States Senate because I needed something to do,” she posted on X. “The Senate needs to stay in session until we can get the SAVE America Act to the floor and passed.” Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), another Trump ally, told Fox News, “I’m all for it. We don’t need a recess. Let’s pass the Save America Act. It’s more important than taking a break.” He added that voters in Indiana are demanding action.
The SAVE America Act would require documented proof of citizenship for voter registration, photo ID at the polls, and restrictions on mail-in ballots. The Senate has already spent weeks debating the measure and voted on it at least five times, but it has never come close to the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Not a single Democrat supports the bill; Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) has labeled it “Jim Crow 2.0.”
An attempt to attach the bill to a budget reconciliation package in June failed after four Republicans—Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Collins—voted against an amendment from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that would have added Trump’s preferred version. Tillis has warned that implementing the law before the 2026 midterms would cause chaos, saying the bill is “dead” in the Senate for the foreseeable future. “Unless they do the work to get to the 60 votes, they know it’s dead, and so all this is theater,” Tillis told The (Raleigh) News & Observer.
The push to cancel recess comes as Trump has also been pressuring Thune to fast-track a budget bill before the break, adding to the leadership squeeze. Meanwhile, some GOP leaders are trying to spin legislative wins as midterm bright spots amid grim polling, but the SAVE America Act’s repeated failures underscore the party’s internal divisions. With the bill stalled, Lee and his allies are betting that public pressure—and Trump’s backing—can force a change in strategy, but they face an uphill battle given the math in the Senate.
