Filibuster Shift: John Cornyn Backs Rule Changes to Pass SAVE America Act as Trump Weighs Endorsement
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas says he is now open to changing Senate rules to move an elections bill forward, reversing years of support for the filibuster and the chamber’s 60-vote threshold for most legislation.
Filibuster Reversal Tied to Push for the SAVE America Act
Cornyn, a Republican, said Wednesday he would support “whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to pass the SAVE America Act, describing the bill as a higher priority than maintaining the filibuster as it currently operates. He made the case in a Wednesday opinion piece titled, “Why the SAVE Act matters more than the filibuster. ”
The SAVE America Act is described as a sweeping election overhaul measure. The legislation would impose proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote, require photo identification to cast a ballot in person or by mail, and require states to run voter rolls through a federal database kept by the Department of Homeland Security.
Cornyn wrote that possible changes could include a “talking filibuster, ” which would require senators blocking a measure to hold the floor and defend their position, though he also suggested other reforms could be used.
Trump Endorsement and a Competitive Runoff Add Pressure
Cornyn’s shift comes as he faces a competitive Republican runoff for his Senate seat and is seeking President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Trump has called the SAVE America Act his top priority.
Cornyn’s runoff opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has aligned with Trump in calling for the abolition of the filibuster to pass the bill, and has criticized Cornyn for previously refusing to take the same stance.
On Wednesday, Cornyn denied that his new position was aimed at securing Trump’s backing, saying, “I would say that’s not true. ” He later described the move as an evolution in his thinking, adding that he hoped the president would respond positively but emphasized his position had developed over time.
Trump’s endorsement decision, which had appeared to be nearing Cornyn at one point, is now described as being in a “holding pattern” as Trump presses Congress to do everything possible to pass the SAVE America Act.
Bill’s Senate Outlook and Cornyn’s Past Defense of the Filibuster
The legislation has passed the House but faces a difficult path to reaching 60 votes in the Senate. Democrats have promised to filibuster the measure. The debate is also unfolding alongside a broader argument over election administration, including the point that noncitizen voting is already illegal and very rare.
Trump has also asked Congress to add additional provisions to the bill, including language that would ban transgender people from women’s and girls’ sports.
Cornyn’s new openness to changing Senate procedure stands in contrast to his earlier stance. When Democrats previously floated changes to the filibuster, Cornyn strongly defended the 60-vote threshold. In January 2022, as Democrats sought to pierce the filibuster to pass their election overhaul proposal, the Freedom to Vote Act, Cornyn warned that power shifts and that “at some point the shoe will always be on the other foot. ” In another speech that month, he argued that changing Senate rules would amount to taking “a wrecking ball” to the Senate and its rules. He also defended the filibuster in a 2022 television appearance, saying it requires lawmakers to work together.
Now, Cornyn argues the Senate should be willing to alter its rules if that is what it takes to send the SAVE America Act to the president’s desk for signature—putting the filibuster at the center of a high-stakes intraparty contest and a broader fight over election policy.
