The House Freedom Caucus is publicly calling on the Senate to return to work, as the upper chamber is now in a two-week Independence Day recess. President Donald Trump and many Republicans still want to find a way for the SAVE America Act to get passed in the Senate.
“The Senate sucks. I’m just going to come out and say it - they suck. This is not hard!” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said during a Thursday news conference.
The federal elections bill already cleared the House, but it is struggling for support among a handful of Republicans and all Democrats in the Senate. Trump visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to advocate for the proposal in a lunch with Republican senators.
“The president did the right thing yesterday by canceling the bill signing, unless the SAVE Act was attached,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said.
The president was scheduled to be on the Hill earlier in the day for a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, but he canceled it to express frustration that the SAVE America Act has not landed on his desk yet.
“I personally think we should not have any more legislation until the Senate comes back in session — and they're out for two weeks,” he added.
🚨 NOW: Congressman Byron Donalds on the Senate refusing to pass the SAVE America Act:
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) June 25, 2026
“The Senate sucks. I’m just going to come out and say it - they suck. This is not hard!”@freedomcaucus @ByronDonalds pic.twitter.com/JYUL1PQRZv
Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus outlined its requests for the third reconciliation bill push. Speaker Mike Johnson has called for a third budgetary bill, as it would only require 51-votes to pass the Senate rather than 60 votes, and it offers another opportunity to potentially pass the SAVE America Act.
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The caucus board of directors wrote in a letter to Johnson that “Reconciliation 3.0 bill must be focused on wins for the American people.”
“It must include strict dollar-for-dollar and year-for-year spending cuts to restore fiscal sanity, control the deficit, and delay the looming debt crisis,” the letter continued, asking for measures to “attack waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government,” make “Healthcare freedom reforms,” and “deliver clear America First national security priorities.”
“Together with President Trump, we must use our unified Republican majorities to advance a bold, America First agenda. We control the field—we cannot afford to leave any points on the board in reconciliation. We stand ready to work with you to accomplish this goal,” the caucus added.
🚨FREEDOM CAUCUS BOARD TO @SPEAKERJOHNSON: LEAVE NO POINTS ON THE BOARD IN RECONCILIATION 3.0
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) June 24, 2026
Americans want RESULTS. We control Congress — time to run up the score.
➡️Dollar-for-dollar & year-for-year spending cuts
➡️No Green New Scam
➡️No abortion industry funding
➡️Zero… pic.twitter.com/fswAYhwnST
Some House Republicans have vowed to stop any motion on the House floor beyond Thursday in order to push for the SAVE America Act’s passage.
“The Senate KNOWS its bill cannot pass the House as written, so now they are trying to get House leadership to change the rules and are now trying to attach it to reconciliation, which is WILD because there is literally not a world that exists where that happens,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) tweeted.
The Senate KNOWS its bill cannot pass the House as written, so now they are trying to get House leadership to change the rules and are now trying to attach it to reconciliation, which is WILD because there is literally not a world that exists where that happens.
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) June 24, 2026
25 members… pic.twitter.com/0aW5OR5gPT
“25 members including myself have agreed we will NOT vote on ANYTHING they send us until VOTER ID IS PASSED. Bring us a no-nonsense plan to finish the SAVE America Act, or do not expect the floor to reopen anytime soon,” the Florida Republican added.
Johnson is expected to meet with the president at the White House on Thursday afternoon.
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