Senate Republicans Stall Progress on SAVE America Act, Prioritize Pentagon Funding as Recess Begins
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GOP leaders failed to move the SAVE America Act forward before the August recess, instead bowing to President Trump's demands for more military spending and delaying crucial budget reconciliation.
In a late-night session marked by inaction, the Senate adjourned for its August recess, leaving the SAVE America Act and vital budget measures unfinished. Despite earlier claims from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that he would object and force a vote to keep the chamber open, no such objection occurred, and the Senate quickly voted to adjourn, disregarding urgent legislative needs.
The Senate also abandoned a proposed budget blueprint that could have advanced parts of the SAVE America Act through reconciliation. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced that the plan would be revised during the break to funnel even more taxpayer money into the Pentagon, a move explicitly aligning with President Trump’s militaristic priorities over social investment.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) admitted that another reconciliation bill would be needed but failed to provide any concrete timeline, instead deferring to Johnson’s team to draft yet another proposal during the recess. Meanwhile, a separate college-sports legislation package, promoted by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and designed to regulate name, image, and likeness rules, faced resistance even within Republican ranks and was ultimately dropped from the agenda. Cruz later promised to deliver the bill to the president after September, further delaying action on issues affecting student-athletes.
In a narrow 50-49 vote that dragged on past 3 a.m., Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed, with several senators roused from sleep to cast decisive votes. The session underscored a Senate more interested in partisan maneuvering and military spending than in addressing the urgent needs of the American people.