Republicans split on following Trump’s demands for restrictive voting bill
President Donald Trump has called on congressional Republicans to immediately pass a $350 billion reconciliation bill that would boost defense spending and include the Save America Act with new voting restrictions, but the plan faces opposition from within the party.
Donald Trump demanded that congressional Republicans advance a party-line reconciliation bill worth $350 billion to raise defense spending to its highest level in decades and incorporate the Save America Act, a right-wing overhaul of election rules. In a Truth Social post, he wrote: "No games, no delays, and no weak compromises! Do this ASAP."
The request appears likely to split Republicans. Some object to using budget reconciliation, a procedure that bypasses the Senate filibuster and allows passage with a simple majority. Republicans previously used reconciliation to approve the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which funded Trump’s mass deportation campaign and extended tax cuts, while slashing health insurance and food aid programs. Earlier this week, they passed a $70 billion measure for deportation efforts via the same mechanism.
The White House proposed spending $1.5 trillion on defense in fiscal year 2027: $1.15 trillion through regular appropriations and $350 billion through reconciliation. Trump wants the latter for new weapons including the "Golden Dome" missile defense, a "golden fleet" of Trump-class battleships, and the F-47 next-generation fighter jet.
While the House Armed Services Committee last week approved $1.15 trillion in the National Defense Authorization Act, two Republican senators publicly criticized the reconciliation plan. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said at a hearing that a one-time funding request is inappropriate for multi-year weapons systems and warned of "major disruptions" if an agreement on reconciliation fails. Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins agreed, noting that relying on a third reconciliation bill for the bulk of funds creates instability.
Trump’s demand to include the Save America Act also faces hurdles. The bill’s provisions—new voter ID requirements, mandatory turnover of voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, and legal liability for election officials over improper registrations—likely violate reconciliation rules and lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. The Senate voted to open debate on the bill in March, but the effort fizzled without enough support.
