Ultimatum!... Now What?

What happens when you throw down the glove and nothing happens? Then what do you do?

Trump makes SAVE America Act ultimatum

By Thérèse Boudreaux

The Center Square

Mar 9, 2026

Pressure from the Trump administration is mounting on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to revive old filibuster rules and ensure the passage of Republicans’ elections reform bill.

In multiple social media posts, President Donald Trump promoted “using the Filibuster, or Talking Filibuster, in order to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, an 88% issue with ALL VOTERS,” adding that the bill “supersedes everything else.” 

Trump also vowed to “not sign other Bills until this is passed,” with the exception of the last fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security.

But you know what… Trump may have shot himself in the foot! He may not have thought it through. In many cases, by not signing a bill it becomes law after 10 days (Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution).

And now the House is putting in its two cents.

House Republicans Give GOP Senators Ultimatum Over SAVE America Act

Newsweek

By Mandy Taheri

Mar 14, 2026

GOP Representative Anna Paulina Luna issued an on-air ultimatum to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, saying on Fox News’ Saturday in America the House would block Senate legislation unless the chamber debated and voted on The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

The Florida Republican had made a similar ultimatum on X on Friday, as had Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, who noted that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding should be exempt.

“I’ll be voting ‘no’ on all Senate bills - other than DHS funding - until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act,” he wrote on X on Friday.

Okay, what are the Republican options? What happens if the Democrats in the Senate dig their heels in? Does the government come to a grinding halt? Let’s look at Trump first.

If he doesn't sign any bills, what happens to them? Well, it depends.

If he does nothing, under certain circumstances the bill becomes law after ten days, as described in the Constitution. But… you always know that politicians leave wiggle room.

A pocket veto: If Congress adjourns before the 10-day window ends, then the bill dies automatically and Congress cannot override it.

His third option is to simply veto it outright.

Then the Senate also has what is called the nuclear option; the repeal of the filibuster. But that has some serious side effects for the Senate.

So will they repeal the filibuster rule? If they do, it will do exactly what its nickname implies. Right now it means that most major bills need bipartisan support to pass. If repealed, a party could cram through bills like voting laws, immigration reforms, healthcare changes, and environmental legislation.

But when Congress changes parties, all that legislation could be undone.

MS Now wrote,

“The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in an online statement responding to Trump’s ultimatum. “It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people. If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: There will be total gridlock in the Senate.”

The New York Democrat concluded, “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

So what happens when their ultimatum fails?