MAGA bills stall in Senate

House Republicans have pushed several Trump-backed bills through their chamber, but the measures have run into the Senate’s 60-vote rules and a narrower Republican margin. (senate.gov) One of the clearest examples is the SAVE America Act, a House-passed voting bill that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register and photo identification to vote in federal elections. Congress.gov lists H.R. 7296 as introduced on Jan. 30, 2026, and the Senate’s daily record shows cloture votes tied to the bill failed on March 21 and March 26. (congress.gov) (dailypress.senate.gov 1) (dailypress.senate.gov 2) The Senate vote on March 26 was 53-47 for cloture, short of the 60 votes needed to move ahead. On March 21, a separate cloture attempt on a SAVE-related amendment failed 49-41. (dailypress.senate.gov 1) (dailypress.senate.gov 2) The same split has shown up in this spring’s fight over Department of Homeland Security funding. The Senate passed a bill by voice vote on March 27 to fund most of the department while leaving Immigration and Customs Enforcement and most Customs and Border Protection for a separate fight, but House Republicans initially rejected that approach. (crfb.org) (rollcall.com) That standoff exposed two different strategies inside the party. Senate Republicans pursued a bipartisan path to reopen agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while House conservatives pressed to pair funding with tougher immigration and election-policy demands. (nbcnews.com) (time.com) Some border measures have still drawn support from both parties. The Laken Riley Act became Public Law 119-1 on Jan. 29, 2025, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals charged with theft-related crimes and giving states new authority to sue over some immigration-enforcement decisions. (congress.gov) Other House immigration bills have not moved nearly as far. Congress.gov shows the Stopping Border Surges Act, H.R. 116, has remained at the committee stage since Jan. 3, 2025, a sign that hard-line House proposals can clear one chamber and still go nowhere in the other. (congress.gov) The Senate’s math is the main reason. Republicans can pass partisan bills through the House with a simple majority, but most Senate legislation still needs 60 votes to end debate, which gives Democrats leverage even when Republicans control the chamber. (senate.gov) That has left Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune managing different coalitions and different incentives. The House can reward confrontation with quick floor votes, while the Senate has to assemble broader deals or watch bills stall where they started. (politico.com) (axios.com)