{"id":2617797,"date":"2026-06-23T12:28:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-says-mike-lee-needs-to-come-to-grips-with-save-act-math\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T12:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:29:11","slug":"thune-says-mike-lee-needs-to-come-to-grips-with-save-act-math","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-says-mike-lee-needs-to-come-to-grips-with-save-act-math\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune says Mike Lee needs to \u2018come to grips\u2019 with SAVE Act math"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-says-mike-lee-needs-to-come-to-grips-with-save-act-math%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2617797&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senate Majority Leader john Thune criticized Senator Mike Lee for overlooking the realistic political challenges surrounding the passage of the SAVE America act, highlighting that Lee\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fetterman-worried-democrats-havent-learned-from-2024-after-dnc-election-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Fetterman worried Democrats haven&#039;t learned from 2024 after DNC election - Washington Examiner\">social media advocacy<\/a> does not align with the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >current legislative realities<\/a>, especially the lack of sufficient votes too bypass the filibuster. Lee has been outspoken in pushing for the bill,which aims to require voter ID and proof of citizenship,but faces meaningful opposition within the Senate,including from republican leaders like Thune,who believes the bill cannot pass without eliminating the filibuster-a move unlikely to garner enough votes. The legislation has mostly Republican support but is hindered by disagreements over additional provisions on mail-in voting. Thune emphasized that the political landscape makes passing the bill infeasible and indicated that further Senate discussions, including a meeting with President Trump, would focus on this and other issues like the Iran conflict and funding for ICE. meanwhile, Lee continues to push for the bill\u2019s advancement, calling on Thune to bring it to a vote, although Thune remains pragmatic about its prospects.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) told reporters Tuesday that Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-lee\/\">Mike Lee<\/a> (R-UT) is ignoring the \u201chard realities\u201d surrounding the SAVE America Act and that his advocacy for it on social media \u201cdoesn\u2019t reflect the facts on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His comments come hours after Lee took a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BasedMikeLee\/status\/2069154305329045537?s=20\">rare swipe at Thune on X<\/a> and a day before President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> comes to the Capitol for a Senate GOP lunch. The president has joined Lee in pressuring Thune, who maintains there aren\u2019t the Republican or Democratic votes to skirt the filibuster and pass the voter ID bill.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4620787\/thune-blunt-mike-lee-come-to-grips-save-america-act-math-voter-id-bill\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Thune says Mike Lee needs to \u2018come to grips\u2019 with SAVE America Act math<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4620506\/rand-paul-subpoenas-anthony-fauci-hearing\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rand Paul subpoenas Fauci after no-show for previous panel request<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4619946\/sanders-ai-commission-plan-vast-influence-economy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Sanders AI plan would create seven-member commission with vast influence over economy<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe facts on the ground are very clear,\u201d Thune said. \u201cThere are not the votes to nuke the filibuster, and there aren\u2019t going to be 10 Democrat votes to all of a sudden support the SAVE America Act. Those are just hard realities, and I think people at some point have to come to grips with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thune has become increasingly blunt about the SAVE America Act\u2019s prospects in the Senate, at first entertaining Lee\u2019s attempts to pass it with a messaging exercise <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4489775\/thune-plans-mock-talking-filibuster-save-america-act\/\">meant to replicate a \u201ctalking filibuster.\u201d<\/a> He moved on to other priorities in the spring and calls a return to that debate futile, given that some of the Republicans who have voted for the bill are unwilling to sidestep the filibuster\u2019s 60-vote threshold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legislation, which requires voter ID and proof of citizenship when registering to vote, has 50 sponsors, or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-arizona-state-rep-issues-call-to-withhold-states-electoral-college-votes-to-joe-biden-due-to-significant-evidence-of-fraud\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Arizona State Rep Issues Call to Withhold State&#039;s Electoral College ... to Joe Biden Due to Significant Evidence of Fraud\">simple majority<\/a>, but there is Republican opposition to add-ons Trump wants for mail-in voting. A broader version of the bill only attracted <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailypress.senate.gov\/thursday-june-4-2026\/\">48 votes<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee, for his part, argues that Thune must find a way to overcome that opposition and mocked a floor speech Thune gave Monday evening on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCool,\u201d Lee said. \u201cLet\u2019s pass the SAVE America Act now. As I\u2019ve been asking you to do for months, please bring it up now and announce that we will debate it until it passes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about that post, Thune acknowledged that Lee \u201cfeels strongly about it\u201d but downplayed the virality of X posts calling for its passage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI appreciate that, and it\u2019s his prerogative to communicate how he wants to communicate,\u201d Thune said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, I have to deal with reality, and sometimes, the alternative universe that is X doesn\u2019t reflect the facts on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thune said to expect a \u201crobust\u201d conversation on Wednesday, when Trump comes to face-to-face with Senate Republicans\u00a0at a conference for the first time in months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4597401\/how-thune-overcame-trump-roadblock-fund-ice\/\"><strong>HOW THUNE OVERCAME A TRUMP-SIZED ROADBLOCK TO FUNDING ICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SAVE America Act is one topic expected to be discussed, and Thune would prefer that Republicans help dissuade him from harping on the bill. The president has threatened to veto unrelated legislation over the lack of movement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans also want to hear from Trump on the Iran war amid concerns that he is negotiating an Obama-style nuclear deal to end the three-month conflict. Thune teased a \u201cquestion and answer\u201d format for the lunch, which is being hosted by one of Lee\u2019s allies, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune says Lee ignores facts on SAVE America Act<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2617798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26174539375359-e1782230440595.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[35410,5894,34333],"class_list":["post-2617797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-mike-lee","tag-politics","tag-save-act"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26174539375359-e1782230440595.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2617797"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2617801,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617797\/revisions\/2617801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2617798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2617797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2617797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2617797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}