House conservatives concluded a weeks-long blockade of the House floor Tuesday, ending a disruption that had halted legislative business for nearly a month and handing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a procedural victory.
The House successfully passed a procedural vote, teeing up votes on appropriations for the State Department, legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, and a measure to improve veterans’ benefits. The vote count was 215-211.
Johnson agreed to pair the State Department funding bill with the SAVE America Act, a move that led several conservative holdouts to change their votes. These members had previously demanded increased pressure on the Senate to pass the stalled measure, which is backed by former President Donald Trump.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, were among the conservatives who had effectively shut down the chamber to push for votes on the SAVE America Act and a border security package. Luna stated that the floor would be unlocked after Johnson's proposal to pair the election measure with the State Department appropriations bill.
"If John Thune strips it out in the Senate, that will be on him and the entire country should be watching what he does," Luna wrote on social media Monday, referencing Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. Thune has indicated that the SAVE America Act lacks sufficient votes in the Senate due to unified Democratic opposition.
Some conservative holdouts had also threatened to oppose the procedural rule unless House Republican leadership scheduled a vote on a border security package. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus advocate for a vote on the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, which would codify Trump's executive orders on immigration, including ending catch-and-release policies.
"We need to deliver on codifying border security, deal with the birthright citizenship issue," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. "These are all issues people that I represent care about intently and that we've talked about doing, and we need to deliver."
Despite initial stated priorities, Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, ultimately voted in favor of the procedural measure, though he previously expressed concern that making Daylight Saving Time permanent would be a misplaced priority without election integrity measures.
Several House Republicans expressed frustration with the conservative rebels' tactics, arguing the strategy risked paralyzing the conference's legislative agenda. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., stated, "There's a small group of Republicans who are upset at the Senate, as I think all of us are. But I don't know how ... if you're upset at the Senate, why do you take it out on the conservative Republican agenda in the House?"
However, some conservatives maintained that the House should exert maximum effort to advance the SAVE America Act. Former President Trump has identified the election integrity measure as his top legislative priority, even refusing to sign a bipartisan housing bill aimed at increasing supply and lowering costs until the SAVE America Act received attention.
"We shouldn't vote on anything else unless it has the SAVE [America] Act period," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Monday. He suggested that the Senate should consider the bill daily and hold a talking filibuster.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., was the sole Republican to vote against the procedural rule. All Democrats voted against it. The House, with its slim Republican majority, could only afford to lose a few GOP votes.
House leaders are working to draft legislation before the Sept. 30 deadline for government funding and address other potential packages, including one covering costs related to the Iran war.