Two Republican senators who had previously withheld their support for circumventing the so-called “zombie” filibuster have now reversed their positions, marking a notable advancement for the SAVE Act in the Senate. Texas Senator John Cornyn, currently embroiled in a competitive primary battle against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, had previously stopped short of endorsing the “talking filibuster” strategy as a vehicle to move the election integrity measure forward. The talking filibuster is a revival of older Senate procedure that would compel the opposing party — Democrats in this instance — to sustain physical debate under the two-speech rule, exhausting both time and stamina in order to block a bill. This stands in sharp contrast to today’s standard practice, where the minority can effectively kill legislation without setting foot on the floor. Under the modern “zombie” filibuster, a bill dies unless its supporters can rally 60 votes for cloture. Switching to the talking filibuster model would allow the GOP to advance the SAVE Act on a bare majority of 51 votes, potentially including a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Vance. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has publicly backed Cornyn in his race against Paxton, calling him the safest bet for preserving Republican control of the chamber. Paxton has pledged to exit the race should Cornyn commit to supporting the talking filibuster pathway — and on Saturday, that commitment came. “Contrary to fake news in the twitterverse: I have supported the Save America Act from day one. I will happily support the ‘talking filibuster’ if that’s what it takes to pass this into law,” Cornyn affirmed in a social media post while tagging President Donald Trump. Contrary to fake news in the twitterverse: I have supported the Save America Act from day one. I will happily support the “talking filibuster” if that’s what it takes to pass this into law. @realDonaldTrump — Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) March 7, 2026 Paxton acknowledged the shift but wasted little time casting doubt on its authenticity. “I made Cornyn more conservative in the last 3 days than he’s been in the last 24 years,” the attorney general posted on X. “Yet, flip-flop Cornyn’s still too cowardly to support abolishing the filibuster to get it done and to call out his best friend McConnell for opposing the bill. The president deserves better,” he added. I made Cornyn more conservative in the last 3 days than he's been in the last 24 years. Yet, flip-flop Cornyn's still too cowardly to support abolishing the filibuster to get it done and to call out his best friend McConnell for opposing the bill. The President deserves better. https://t.co/NTkZBr4S63 — Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 7, 2026 Meanwhile, Alabama Senator Katie Britt pushed back against reports suggesting she opposed the procedural maneuver. “This is blatantly false. I have been working with [Senator Mike Lee] to find the votes and path forward to pass the SAVE America Act, which includes the talking filibuster,” Britt wrote in an X post of her own. JUST IN: Sens. John Cornyn and Katie Britt BOTH say they are in favor of passing the SAVE America Act via TALKING FILIBUSTER BRITT: "I have been working with Mike Lee to find the votes and path forward to pass the SAVE America Act, which includes the talking filibuster." pic.twitter.com/LmLAjVB4R9 — Derek Johnson (@rattletrap1757) March 7, 2026 While the announcements from Cornyn and Britt represent genuine momentum for the legislation, the road to passage remains difficult. North Carolina’s outgoing Senator Thom Tillis has gone so far as to threaten resignation if the talking filibuster is invoked. Senator Susan Collins of Maine has voiced backing for the SAVE Act itself but declined to endorse the procedural workaround. Senator Mitch McConnell has likewise refused to get on board, and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski has taken the most oppositional stance of all, rejecting the bill outright. Taken together, Republicans still fall short of the 50 votes needed to move ahead. Any thoughts?