Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) suggested that he is willing to support changes to Senate rules, including scrapping the filibuster, to force through the SAVE America Act, President Trump’s top legislative priority. The announcement marks a significant reversal for Cornyn, who spent years defending the 60-vote threshold as a safeguard for conservative governance.
“For many years, I believed that if the U.S. Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,” Cornyn wrote in an op-ed published by the New York Post. “When the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and voter ID at the ballot box. Trump has called it his top legislative priority, vowing not to sign any other legislation until the bill reaches his desk.
Democrats have blocked the measure through procedural obstruction, drawing sharp criticism from Cornyn. “Today, Democrats are weaponizing the Senate’s rules to block the SAVE America Act, defund the Department of Homeland Security and hurt the American people, all to spite President Donald Trump,” Cornyn wrote. “But they say openly that if these same rules ever get in Democrats’ way, they won’t hesitate to rip them up.”
Cornyn later appeared to backtrack, telling a reporter to “go away” when asked about hiss tance.
“I said I’d be open to reforms,” Cornyn said in response to a question about “nuking the filibuster.” He stated, “I think we’re through. Go away.”
The move comes as Cornyn faces a heated Texas Republican Senate primary runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26. Paxton posted last week that he would consider dropping out of the race if Senate leadership agreed to lift the filibuster and pass the SAVE Act.
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate. Passing the SAVE Act without Democratic support requires holding every member of the conference, and potentially altering decades of Senate procedure.
