John Cornyn pushes to end filibuster for Save America Act to secure Trump backing

US Senator John Cornyn is backing changes to the Senate filibuster as he pushes for passing of a voting restrictions bill supported by US President Donald Trump.

Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, voiced his support for modifying Senate rules in a New York Post opinion piece published on Wednesday.

The move comes as he seeks Trump’s endorsement while facing a potential primary runoff challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The debate centers on the SAVE America Act, a bill Trump has called his ‘No. 1 priority’ in Congress. 

The legislation would impose citizenship and photo identification requirements in elections and address issues related to transgender rights.

In the op-ed, Cornyn wrote: “After careful consideration, I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary for us to get the SAVE America Act and homeland security funding past the Democrats’ obstruction, through the Senate, and on the president’s desk for his signature.”

According to CNN, Cornyn denied that his position was simply an attempt to secure Trump’s endorsement: “Hopefully the president likes what he sees, but this has really been sort of an evolution of my own thinking,” he told reporters.