The Senate considers the SAVE America Act this week. Lacking votes to invoke cloture over Democrats’ objections, Republicans can still force an up-or-down vote by making Democrats sustain a costly talking filibuster.
In the absence of cloture, the Senate can’t vote on the SAVE America Act if a senator is speaking or seeking recognition to speak. The debate continues if there are senators who wish and are able to speak. The Senate’s presiding officer must call a vote on the legislation when no senators are available to speak on the floor.
Republicans can speed up the path to a vote by strictly enforcing the Senate rules on filibustering senators. These rules limit the number of speeches a senator can give and restrict the content of their remarks. If a senator breaks these rules, they lose the right to join the filibuster. Once no Democrats are left to sustain the filibuster, the Senate can vote on the legislation.
