Overview
- President Donald Trump declined to commit on Monday to supporting Senator John Thune for another term as Senate majority leader, a comment that publicly exposed tension between the White House and Senate GOP.
- Senate Republicans left Washington early on Saturday without advancing the SAVE America Act after standalone votes fell short and leaders abandoned a reconciliation route because of parliamentary limits and insufficient support.
- Majority Leader John Thune scheduled a simpler voter ID bill from Senator Jon Husted that won unified GOP backing as a narrower alternative to the broader SAVE package.
- Several Republican senators privately say they expect Trump to press the caucus during the five-week recess and worry that continued focus on an unwinnable bill could hurt Republican Senate chances in November.
- The Senate did pass stopgap funding through mid-December and narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general, and party leaders cite the Senate parliamentarian and the Byrd Rule as key constraints on trying to force SAVE provisions through reconciliation.