With about 90 days until midterm elections, Republican senators are doing what they do best: publicly arguing with each other about legislation they cannot actually pass. Utah Senator Mike Lee has been on a one-man crusade for months trying to rally his colleagues behind the SAVE America Act, and as Conservative Brief reported, his latest strategy involves invoking the memory of Charlie Kirk to guilt everyone into caring.
Lee, who has roughly 700,000 social media followers at his disposal, has been firing off daily posts pushing voting restrictions like a man who discovered the "post" button and never looked back. His brilliant alternative plans, which include jamming the bill through budget reconciliation or bringing back the talking filibuster, have gained approximately zero traction. That is the political equivalent of screaming into a pillow, except the pillow is the entire United States Senate.
In his most creative move yet, Lee took to X on Monday to speculate about what the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose assassination in Utah previously united Republicans, would have wanted. "I suspect Charlie Kirk would want us to remain in session," Lee wrote, essentially putting words in a deceased person's mouth to win a legislative argument. That is certainly one way to lobby your colleagues.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is standing firm in his role as the designated adult who can do basic arithmetic. "It seems to me sometimes I'm the only one who can count to 50 in this town," Thune told reporters, which is both a sick burn and a deeply concerning statement about the mathematical abilities of the United States Senate. Thune pointed out they lack votes to eliminate the filibuster and certainly are not convincing ten Democrats to hop aboard this particular train.
President Trump, never one to let reality interfere with demands, ordered Thune back in July to cancel the August recess until the bill passes. Thune responded by calling it his top priority while simultaneously explaining why it cannot happen. That is some truly Olympic-level political gymnastics right there.
Thune did leave the door slightly ajar, suggesting that "pieces" of the bill could potentially squeeze through reconciliation with 50 votes plus Vice President JD Vance. His exact commitment level? "Maybe." "We're having conversations." "I'll keep you posted." Inspiring stuff.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy jumped into the mix on Face the Nation, delivering what might be the most Southern compliment-slash-criticism in congressional history. "I love John Thune. He's my leader. He's got a big brain. He's better looking than me, but I think he's just being too cautious," Kennedy said. Nothing says "constructive feedback" quite like complimenting someone's facial symmetry before telling them they are doing their job wrong.
Kennedy argued the bill deserves a floor vote regardless, insisting voters should prove eligibility before registering and that election results should be known on or around Election Day. "I think we can pass it, but we're not going to know if we don't try," he added, channeling the energy of every little league coach who ever lived.
So to recap: one senator is invoking the deceased, another is bragging about counting, a third is complimenting everyone's looks, and the President wants to cancel summer vacation. Democracy is thriving, folks.
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