{"id":35112,"date":"2026-04-20T23:27:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T23:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/35112\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T23:27:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T23:27:14","slug":"gop-lawmaker-blasts-rinos-in-the-senate-as-republican-rift-simmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/35112\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Lawmaker Blasts \u2018RINOs in the Senate\u2019 as Republican Rift Simmers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A growing Republican power struggle burst into public view after Representative Greg Steube accused Senate Republicans of blocking election legislation, fueling an intra\u2011party clash over the filibuster<\/a>, voter policy, and how aggressively the GOP should govern with control of Congress.<\/p>\n

House Republican Takes Aim at Senate GOP<\/p>\n

In a sharply worded post on X, the Florida Republican called out members of his own party in the Senate, urging leadership to scrap long\u2011standing procedural rules to advance the SAVE America Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe House passed the SAVE America Act over 2 months ago,\u201d Steube wrote on Monday. \u201c@LeaderJohnThune, nuke the filibuster and get it done! Seems pretty easy to everyone but the RINOs in the Senate\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments drew attention for their blunt tone, highlighting rising frustration among House conservatives<\/a> who argue that Senate Republicans\u2014not Democrats\u2014are standing in the way of GOP priorities.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in the SAVE America Act<\/p>\n

The SAVE America Act would require Americans to present<\/a> documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections. Supporters say the measure is necessary to protect election integrity, while opponents argue it could prevent eligible voters from participating.<\/p>\n

The House approved the legislation earlier this year, but it has stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority but lack the 60 votes typically needed to overcome a filibuster.<\/p>\n

Trump Ramps Up Pressure on Senate Leadership<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump has called the SAVE America Act a top priority<\/a> ahead of the midterm elections and has warned he may withhold support for other legislation until the measure reaches his desk.<\/p>\n

He has also encouraged Senate Republicans to consider forcing a so\u2011called \u201ctalking filibuster\u201d or eliminating the filibuster altogether so the bill could pass with a simple majority.<\/p>\n

Steube\u2019s attack echoed those arguments, aligning House conservatives with Trump\u2019s push to overhaul Senate procedure.<\/p>\n

Thune Pushes Back<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted calls to change Senate rules, arguing that eliminating the filibuster is not realistic given internal opposition within the GOP.<\/p>\n

Thune has said Senate Republicans do not have the votes to \u201cnuke\u201d the filibuster or adopt alternative tactics, warning that such moves could destabilize the chamber and backfire if Democrats regain control. He has emphasized that Senate leadership cannot guarantee outcomes that depend on rule changes lacking broad support.<\/p>\n

\"\"Democrats Reject the Bill Outright<\/p>\n

Democrats have uniformly opposed the SAVE America Act<\/a>, arguing that cases of noncitizen voting are rare and that the bill could disenfranchise eligible voters. Senate Democrats have shown no willingness to support the legislation, making the filibuster a decisive obstacle unless Republicans change the rules.<\/p>\n

A Familiar GOP Fault Line Widens<\/p>\n

The dispute reflects a broader Republican divide between House conservatives demanding rapid action and Senate leaders defending institutional restraints. What began as a procedural disagreement has evolved into a public test of party unity, with accusations now flying between Republicans themselves.<\/p>\n

In another sign of frustration among House Republicans, Representative Anna Paulina Luna from Florida posted to X on Monday evening: “Just so America knows, after two weeks in recess, John Thune is no longer considering the SAVE America Act.”<\/p>\n

Her and Steube’s remarks illustrate how tensions within the GOP continue to simmer\u2014raising questions about whether Republicans can present a unified front as high\u2011stakes legislative fights loom heading into the election season.<\/p>\n

Update 4\/20\/26 6:22 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center\u2014it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.<\/p>\n

When you become a Newsweek Member<\/a>, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant.\u00a0Members enjoy:\u00a0Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations.\u00a0Help keep the center courageous. Join today.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A growing Republican power struggle burst into public view after Representative Greg Steube accused Senate Republicans of blocking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35113,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[4991,477,12,1065,1067,383,491,475,2512,1417,1076,494,2194],"class_list":{"0":"post-35112","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-john-thune","8":"tag-2026-elections","9":"tag-congress","10":"tag-donald-trump","11":"tag-elections","12":"tag-filibuster","13":"tag-government","14":"tag-house-of-representatives","15":"tag-john-thune","16":"tag-legislation","17":"tag-midterms","18":"tag-republicans","19":"tag-senate","20":"tag-voting"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@people\/116439629329369160","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}