U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) argued that the Senate may need to change its rules to pass the SAVE America Act, signaling a shift in his long-held defense of the filibuster as Republicans push to advance election security legislation backed by President Donald Trump.
In an op-ed published in the New York Post, Sen. Cornyn said Democrats have increasingly weaponized Senate procedures to block Republican priorities, including the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and voter identification in federal elections.
"For many years, I believed that if the U.S. Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain," wrote Cornyn. "But when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt."
Cornyn argued that Democrats nearly eliminated the filibuster in 2022 to pass sweeping election legislation and have signaled they would do so again if they regained Senate control. Due to that, he said Republicans should be willing to consider rule changes if necessary to advance their legislative agenda.
"The answer is clear: We need to stand, fight and win," wrote Cornyn. "We should use the authority voters have entrusted in us to pass the SAVE America Act, fund homeland security, and bring the far left's obstruction to an end."
The timing of the op-ed comes amid an escalating Republican Senate Primary in Texas between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Paxton recently suggested that he would consider dropping out of the Senate race if the SAVE America Act were passed and Senate leadership agreed to eliminate or weaken the filibuster.
However, Paxton also expressed skepticism that Cornyn would be willing to eliminate the Filibuster, referring to him as a "coward."
Cornyn's op-ed appears to address that criticism directly by stating that he now supports "whatever changes to Senate rules may prove necessary" to move the bill past Democratic opposition.
The SAVE America Act has become a major priority for Trump and congressional Republicans, who argue the legislation would strengthen election integrity by making it easier to vote but harder to commit fraud.
With the Texas midterms intensifying, the fate of the SAVE America Act has increasingly become both a legislative battle in Washington and a central issue in the state's high-profile Republican contest.
