House Republican leaders are confronting a critical challenge as they attempt to quell a conservative rebellion that has brought legislative proceedings on the House floor to a standstill for weeks. This internal dissent threatens Speaker Mike Johnson's ability to advance key legislation ahead of the November midterm elections.
Several dozen Republicans have been blocking procedural votes, forcing leadership to withdraw votes on important measures. The conservatives' demands include the passage of the stalled SAVE America Act and a vote on sweeping border security legislation. However, neither demand appears close to being met due to divisions within the Republican party, raising significant questions about whether Johnson can advance any major legislation this week.
Vice President JD Vance had planned to attend a Tuesday Republican conference meeting, but postponed his visit, according to Politico. Vance's canceled appearance comes as House Republican leadership has reportedly enlisted the White House's assistance to help resolve the conservative revolt. President Donald Trump has previously urged the dissenting Republicans to cease what he called "grandstanding" and reopen the House floor, but the group has not relented.
Speaker Johnson is reportedly working this week to advance an annual government spending bill for the State Department and a measure to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, a priority for President Trump. The latter measure is particularly popular in Florida, and leadership may be hoping that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., will stand down and support a procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
A spokesperson for Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the congresswoman would support the procedural rule. Some holdouts have criticized Johnson's legislative agenda for the week. "Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote on social media Monday, questioning the party's priorities.
Republicans are not expected to bring the annual defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), up for consideration this week. Holdouts in June torpedoed a procedural vote advancing the legislation. Johnson initially proposed combining the NDAA with the SAVE America Act, but some holdouts, including Rep. Luna, argued it was insufficient due to the lack of guarantee that the Senate would retain the election security measure in the final version.
Luna is now advocating for House leadership to push for the SAVE America Act's inclusion in a compromise NDAA bill negotiated between the House and Senate. "A Manager’s Amendment from the Chairwoman of the Rules Committee can force this in once the Senate sends us their version," Luna wrote on social media last week. However, Senate Republicans have repeatedly stated that there are insufficient votes in their chamber to pass the Trump-backed election bill, which includes provisions for proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter ID requirements.
Despite this, some conservatives are pressing to attach the election measure to any legislation that passes the House to compel Senate action. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, wrote on social media, "The SAVE America Act must be attached to every piece of legislation until we secure our elections once and for all. Protecting the integrity of our elections isn’t optional."
Johnson appeared to address this demand by employing a rare procedural maneuver that would merge the SAVE America Act with the State Department funding bill once it is sent to the Senate after House passage. A faction of House conservatives is also urging GOP leadership to hold a vote on border security legislation, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act. This bill, authored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, largely mirrors legislation passed in 2023 but omits changes to the E-Verify program, which had threatened to alienate moderate Republicans. E-Verify requires certain U.S. employers to electronically confirm their employees' work authorization.
Rep. Roy and other members of the House Freedom Caucus have withheld support for procedural votes, attempting to pressure leadership to bring the border legislation to a floor vote. Roy's bill includes provisions for completing border wall construction, imposing strict asylum requirements, and prohibiting catch-and-release policies.