Senate Leader John Thune has just rejected the talking filibuster as a means to pass the Save America Act, which President Trump is demanding the Senate pass this year.
He’s essentially saying he can’t find anywhere in history where this has worked to pass a piece of legislation.
Here’s what Thune said in full, according to NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur:
Just now: THUNE weighs in on the "talking filibuster," saying leadership has thoroughly examined it (much as Democrats did when they were in charge) and he finds it "very hard to see" it working. "And we can't find a piece of legislation in history that's been passed that way." pic.twitter.com/UOz7XNY14h
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 9, 2026
I doubt Trump will be pleased by this. I suppose he could just throw up his hands and do it anyway if the pressure keeps mounting, but it doesn’t sound like it. And I seriously doubt he’ll use the nuclear option to end the filibuster either.
So I guess this means that the Save America Act is dead.