When Swamp Games Block Good Bills

Summary: Elected leadership often dodge accountability by refusing to schedule votes on key bills or agenda items, claiming “we don’t have the votes” without ever testing the claim. No recorded vote means no transparency, letting politicians avoid scrutiny while claiming they’re powerless to act.

CIVICS - In legislative bodies, establishment leadership routinely kill good America First bills without ever putting them to a vote, hiding behind excuses like "we don't have the votes" to avoid any real fight. Chamber bosses can simply refuse to schedule hearings, committee action, or floor time, burying legislation in the dark so no one has to take a stand. They claim lack of support as their out, but by never forcing a public roll call, they keep patriots from seeing who's actually battling for freedom and who's just another swamp creature protecting the status quo.

Swamp Glossary Identified Tactic

The Swamp Glossary titles this tactic, "We Don't Have the Votes." The Swamp Glossary was created to expose swamp tricks in by identifying phrases and terms they use "to deceive and confuse the public." This entry highlights how the excuse of lacking sufficient support is frequently used to sidestep accountability without ever testing the claim through an actual vote.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is a perfect example—straightforward, common-sense legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, shutting down any chance for illegals to hijack our system. It passed the House in 2025 with strong Republican support, but it's dead in the water because Majority Leader John Thune won't even bring it up, using the "not enough votes" line as cover to dodge accountability and shield RINOs and radical Dems from exposure.

This deliberate lack of transparency is a straight-up betrayal of We the People: no vote on record means no way for voters to know if their senators are true America First fighters or deep-state sellouts. Grassroots warrior Scott Presler hit the nail on the head in his January 18, 2026, tweet: "The American people don’t want to hear that you WON’T introduce legislation b/c you think it won’t pass. We EXPECT you to vote on bills, so we can find out who’s with us & against us."

Elon Musk called it out too on January 17, 2026, slamming Thune: "He says there are not enough senators to get secure voting passed. Public needs to make their opinion known to those senators."

Forcing a vote puts every senator on the record, exposes the opposition, and makes the people the chief stakeholder of their government. For these swamp games to stop, the people must send a strong message in the next Primary: Drain the swamp or get replaced.

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