House Speaker Johnson says GOP will use budget reconciliation to push SAVE America voter ID bill

Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News that the House will move quickly to advance President Donald Trump’s SAVE America voter-ID bill using the budget reconciliation process once members return from the holiday recess. He said the legislation is a top priority for both the president and the speaker and that the House will reconvene to gather support.

Johnson noted that the House has already passed a version of the bill several times and that a reconciliation vote could allow it to pass with a simple majority, a tactic previously used to enact major domestic measures and fund immigration enforcement during the former administration.

A small group of hard-line conservatives halted a procedural vote last week to protest the failure to send the bill to the president’s desk, prompting Trump to publicly demand its passage during a speech celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Senate Republicans remain divided. Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough previously ruled that the bill did not meet reconciliation criteria, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted calls to change the rules. Some senators, such as Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, argue that the filibuster will likely be eliminated if Democrats gain control, while others caution against weakening Senate procedures.

Johnson said he has discussed the plan with Thune and believes Senate doubts stem from uncertainty about additional provisions the president wants to attach, such as restrictions on mail voting and transgender athletes. He emphasized that the core bill focuses on stricter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.

The speaker also indicated that the SAVE America Act could be linked with a bipartisan defense authorization package, a strategy that could increase pressure on the Senate but may risk the defense bill’s passage. Johnson pledged to approve a reconciliation framework within the month.