“President Trump is 100% correct. The SAVE America Act is top priority. I will stay here as long as necessary to get it passed and signed into law,” said Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, who is currently serving the remainder of his term through January 2027.
She added:
“I came to Washington to fight for the people of South Carolina and deliver on our conservative agenda.”
Her announcement comes as a growing number of Republican senators urge Senate leadership to act before lawmakers leave Washington for the summer.
President Trump also escalated the pressure Monday with a strongly worded message directed at Thune on Truth Social. Trump argued that senators should remain in session until the SAVE America Act passes or Senate Republicans eliminate the legislative filibuster.
“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!”
Trump continued:
“The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership. Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!”
The SAVE America Act would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and present photo identification at the polls. Supporters argue the legislation is intended to strengthen election security by ensuring that only eligible American citizens participate in federal elections.
Despite strong Republican support, the bill faces significant hurdles in the Senate. Democrats have opposed the measure, and Republican leaders have acknowledged that there currently are not enough votes to overcome a filibuster under existing Senate rules.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly stated that the numbers simply are not there to advance the legislation. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has dismissed efforts to force a vote, describing the strategy as a “waste of time.”
Those comments have drawn criticism from Trump supporters and several conservative lawmakers, many of whom believe the SAVE America Act should become law before the 2026 midterm elections.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee was the first Republican senator to publicly threaten to object to the Senate’s recess unless leadership brings the election bill to the floor. Since then, several additional Republican senators have joined the effort, including Jim Banks of Indiana, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Ashley Moody of Florida, and Rick Scott of Florida.
Graham’s decision adds another voice to that growing coalition. Her involvement is especially notable because she was sworn into office on July 14 following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly from an aortic rupture. Rather than taking a gradual approach to her new role, Graham has quickly entered one of the Senate’s most closely watched legislative battles.
The dispute comes only days after House Republicans advanced legislation that could set up another showdown in the Senate.
Last week, the House voted 217-209 to approve a fiscal year 2027 appropriations package funding the State Department, national security programs, and other federal priorities. One Democrat voted with Republicans in favor of the bill, while one Republican opposed it.
To secure support from conservatives, House Republican leaders attached the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to the spending package before sending it to the Senate through the legislative procedure known as MIRVing.
With Senate Republicans divided over strategy, Democrats remaining firmly opposed, and President Trump publicly demanding action, the battle over the SAVE America Act appears poised to become one of the Senate’s most closely watched legislative fights in the weeks ahead.
