Donald Trump confronts GOP resistance on SAVE Act and civil‑service purge

Senator Jim Banks (R‑Ind.) said President Donald Trump and Republican voters are frustrated because Senate Republicans have not taken up the SAVE America Act. Trump has indicated he will not sign any legislation, including the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, until the SAVE Act is passed. Banks noted attempts to attach the bill to other measures such as the national defense bill and urged GOP senators to act despite filibuster hurdles.

Separately, a New York Times investigation revealed a White House‑led pressure campaign that pushed the Merit Systems Protection Board to adopt a ruling expanding presidential authority to fire federal workers without due process. The effort, directed by special assistant James Sherk, left the board’s acting chair shaken. Trump subsequently signed an executive order removing job protections for roughly 8,000 policy‑making employees, framing the move as treating them like private‑sector workers.