President Trump has urged Senate Republicans to cancel their August recess until they pass the SAVE America Act, escalating tensions with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his conference. The dispute matters because it exposes divisions within the Republican Party over the limits of presidential pressure, Senate procedure and the party’s legislative priorities ahead of the midterm elections.

The proposed voting legislation would require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration and impose further restrictions on voting. It lacks the 60 votes normally needed to overcome a Senate filibuster; Trump has therefore also called for the filibuster to be abolished, while Thune and other Republicans have said there is insufficient support for either course. Some senators oppose cancelling recess because the bill has no clear route to passage.