Trump demands throw Senate GOP into disarray

President Trump’s demands that the Senate cancel its August recess to debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act and advance a budget reconciliation package to fund the Iran war have thrown Senate Republicans into disarray.

GOP senators are divided over whether to cut short the five-week break, which would take vulnerable Republican incumbent Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) away from the campaign trail.

They’re also at odds over whether to dive into what Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) warned would be a “risky” attempt to pass a budget package that contains billions of dollars for an unpopular foreign conflict, as well as funding for farmers and election-related reforms.

Looming over it all are the fast-approaching midterms and festering frustration among some Republicans about the curveballs being thrown by the president.

Trump and his allies are pushing hard for the Senate to vote as soon as next week on a budget resolution to unlock the process to advance a $95 billion proposal drafted by the House to help cover the costs of the Iran war — even though Thune warned last week that such a proposal doesn’t have 50 Republican votes to advance in the Senate.

Senate Budget Committee Chair Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says the Senate needs to vote next week to set the stage for passing Trump’s funding priorities — including $73 billion for the Pentagon and the nation’s intelligence agencies — before the November election.

Johnson said budget reconciliation, which allows Republicans to circumvent a Democratic filibuster, could also be used as a last resort to pass a funding stopgap to avoid another government shutdown right before Election Day.

He said he’s been reaching out to individual members.

“I think we need to vote on the [continuing resolution] this week to see if Democrats are actually serious in wanting to fund the government at least........

© The Hill