U.S. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., confirmed it is a Republican priority to pass the election security package championed by Utah Sen. Mike Lee after returning from the congressional recess in August.
Barrasso also defended the Senate filibuster, warning of what a Democratic majority would do if Republicans got rid of it — something President Donald Trump has demanded since Lee's SAVE America Act has failed to get a final vote.
The Senate's top vote-counter was in Salt Lake City on Thursday as the recipient of the Titan of Public Service Award which recognizes the "civility and solutions" of Utah's longest-serving senator, the late Orrin Hatch.
Barrasso praised Hatch for his ability to build constructive relationships during a conversation with former Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith at the annual Hatch Foundation gala attended by Lee, other federal lawmakers and community leaders.
"That's so much of the job: it's listening, not lecturing, and that's how you get things accomplished," Barrasso said.
Barrasso has heard the message coming from Utah's senior senator. The second highest-ranking Senate Republican said the GOP conference is united behind Lee's proposal to require proof of citizenship and photo ID to vote in elections.
The bill will "absolutely" be a priority when lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., Barrasso told the Deseret News. But the first order of business is to fully fund the government past the November midterms, he said.
Barrasso acknowledged the midterms could hinge on the price of gasoline, which has soared since Trump launched a war in Iran leading to the blockade of important oil supply chains through the Strait of Hormuz.
Whether Republicans can hold onto a Senate majority may come down to a handful of races in Michigan, Ohio, Maine and Alaska. If the GOP keeps control, Barrasso said that Lee — a former constitutional lawyer — will become chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"And that's a day I look forward to," Barrasso said.
The Hatch Foundation has quickly gained outsized influence in national politics since it was formed, hosting debates between influential senators, hosting top conservative personalities and bringing powerful politicians to Utah.
Starting in 2023, the foundation has given awards to former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton.
In his introduction of Barrasso, Lee complimented his ability to guide the conference without individual members "feeling whipped." Since entering Congress in the Tea Party wave, Lee has often stood up to GOP leadership.
Over the past several months, Lee has led a crusade to pass the SAVE America Act, which has become one of the president's favorite talking points ahead of November. However, his efforts have repeatedly been squandered.
Attempts to debate the bill have ended without a resolution. And calls to reform, or remove the filibuster, have been shut down. Lee appeared to reference the disruption caused by his persistence during his introduction of Barrasso.
"Sometimes he has to deal with people who have crazy ideas; sometimes I'm one of those people," Lee said.
In recent months, Lee has threatened to "nuke" the filibuster unless senators agree to require a "physical filibuster," or someone actually willing to prevent a final vote through a floor speech, sometimes lasting hours.
Most bills must receive a supermajority of 60 votes to end debate and prevent lawmakers from delaying a final vote indefinitely. But Lee has questioned the long-standing norm as it has halted the passage of his SAVE America Act.
The importance of the legislative filibuster has been a focus of the Hatch Foundation, executive director Matt Sandgren told the Deseret News, saying Barrasso has proven his ability to form consensus to reach that 60-vote threshold.
"Many of us would say that we do need to go back to the basics of being civil and focusing on solutions," Sandgren said.
Smith mentioned during his conversation with Barrasso that the filibuster is seen as a structural measure that forces bipartisanship, "slowing down bad ideas and over time allowing good ideas to become better laws."
Both parties have called for the end of the filibuster at different times, only to rely on it when they are in the minority, said Marty Gold, who has advised Senate leadership on rules for more than five decades.
In 2022, President Joe Biden called for the end of the filibuster to pass a piece of voting-rights legislation. The proposed rules change was opposed in floor speeches by Barrasso and Lee. But it is now a live issue among the GOP.
As lawmakers return from recess, Barrasso's job will be to help Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., finalize the budget while navigating the demands of Lee to pass the SAVE America Act, despite no Democratic support in 53-47 split.
"So the leader needs eyes and ears, and the whip performs that function," Gold told the Deseret News.
Barrasso will likely be seeing and hearing a lot more from Lee in coming months. In an interview with the Deseret News, Lee said it would be "crazy" if the GOP did not move forward with the legislation any way it could manage it.
Lee believes the people are on his side. Multiple national polls have found a large majority of American voters approve requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and some form of photo identification when voting.
In July, Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill disclosed that a "software error" had led to roughly 6,600 noncitizens being added to the state's voter rolls. Of those, around 400 noncitizens had voted in 2023 and 2024, she said.
"It's a form of insanity to conclude that we should not do this, to conclude that we shouldn't move heaven and earth to get it done," Lee told the Deseret News. "It's leaving our entire system of government in great jeopardy."
Lee has proposed passing pieces of the SAVE America Act through the budget reconciliation process. But policy changes unrelated to funding will need another mechanism. Lee still prefers debating it on the floor "until it passes."
"That appears less likely than other options, but I will take any opening the majority leader will give us to get this and the policies underlying it back on the floor."