This week on The Hill: House aims to move priorities after conservative SAVE America Act rebellion
This week on The Hill: House aims to move priorities after conservative SAVE America Act rebellion
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has an ambitious legislative agenda this week, but it’s unclear whether he can move those priorities forward as a group of conservative hard-liners demand action on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.
President Trump urged House Republicans last week to fall in line after conservative rebels brought most House floor activity to a standstill by threatening to oppose procedural rules unless the Senate passed the SAVE America Act. Because the House must adopt a rule before debating and voting on final passage of most legislation, the tactic effectively ground the chamber to a halt.
“House Republicans should unify, and stop voting down ‘Rules’ or, threatening to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week, adding: “No more grandstanding, please!”
Whether Trump’s appeal will be enough to sway the holdouts remains an open question.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) wrote on social media last week that she had submitted an amendment to the House Rules Committee to attach the SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signaling she is unwilling to back down.
“This amendment to attach the SAVE America Act to the NDAA was filed last week and is now sitting in the Rules Committee. This is how to get my vote on a rule. But I am one of MANY,” Luna wrote.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the House Freedom Caucus’s policy chair, also appeared unmoved by Trump’s message. Responding to Trump’s post on social media, Roy said House Republicans should “immediately pass HR2 (promised) to codify border security, a congressional stock trading ban, get SAVE passed, & fully fund defense with real pay-fors.”
Johnson can afford little dissent as he needs near-unanimous GOP support to adopt procedural rules, given his razor-thin margin in the House.
The Senate is out on recess for two weeks.
What you can expect this week:
House to consider NDAA: The House Rules Committee will meet on Monday and consider amendments to the NDAA.
House to take up appropriations bill: The House will take up an appropriations bill this week after a revolt over the SAVE America Act delayed action on it.
Reconciliation 3.0 heats up: House Republicans will continue planning out what to include in a third reconciliation bill.
War powers resolution on calendar: The House could take up a war powers resolution directing Trump to remove troops from hostilities in Lebanon as early as........
