There’s a moment in politics when principle runs headfirst into reality, and you have to decide which one actually serves the country. For years, many on the right — myself included — have treated the filibuster like a sacred guardrail, something that keeps the Senate from spiraling into pure majoritarian chaos. But Democrats have abused it for years, and that guardrail has become a roadblock to something the public overwhelmingly wants. Something has to change.
I’ve long been uneasy with the idea of Republicans being the ones to nuke the filibuster. Let Democrats own it. That instinct still makes sense in a vacuum. But, I’m sorry to say, we’re not operating in a vacuum anymore.
What we have here is a situation where Democrats are prepared to obstruct a bill that enjoys massive, bipartisan support among voters. The SAVE America Act isn’t some fringe wish list. It’s a straightforward attempt to impose commonsense election integrity nationwide—requiring proof of citizenship to register and a photo ID to vote. Basic stuff. It’s the kind of measure most Americans assume already exists and is being enforced.
And the numbers aren’t even close.
A poll from Pew Research shows that 83% of Americans favor voter ID requirements across all major demographic groups. Gallup similarly shows support at 84%, with 67% of Democrats on board and 83% backing proof-of-citizenship requirements. A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 71% support specifically for the SAVE Act, including 69% of independents and even half of Democrats.
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There aren’t that many consensus issues in politics, but this is one of them. Yet here we are, watching Democrats line up to block it anyway without blinking, dressing up their opposition with the tired (and debunked) claim that it somehow makes voting harder.
That argument falls apart the second you realize how many Americans already support these exact measures. People aren’t confused about what voter ID means. They want it. It should be that simple.
At some point, you have to ask what you’re preserving. If the filibuster becomes a tool to stop an 80/20 issue—something with overwhelming public backing—then it’s no longer protecting democracy. It’s obstructing it. And if Democrats are willing to use it that way now, there’s no reason to believe they won’t scrap it themselves the moment it benefits them.
So what’s the smarter play? Cling to the moral high ground while nothing gets done, or secure a major win that aligns with what Americans actually want?
If the SAVE America Act stalls in the Senate, Republicans should seriously consider beating Democrats to the punch and nuking the filibuster. Pass the bill. Done. I’m finished with the Democrats abusing the filibuster and Republicans always getting the shaft.
In fact, if we’re being honest, why stop there? If Democrats insist on blocking something so popular, then Republicans should nuke the filibuster and go bigger. Much bigger. Pass the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act.
The MEGA Act would take everything in the SAVE Act and build on it: stronger voter roll maintenance, a requirement that mail-in ballots arrive by poll closing, auditable paper ballots, and bans on ballot harvesting, ranked-choice voting, and universal mail-in voting. In other words, a complete election integrity package that closes loopholes. If Democrats want to play dirty, why can’t the GOP? Seriously, I’m done with the GOP always playing nice. Election integrity is too important.
