President Trump Urges Congress to Advance SAVE America Act
House Republican leaders are attempting to bring the stalled SAVE America Act back to life after a recent conservative revolt halted progress last week. However, the Republicans involved in this blockade are not backing the plan.
This Monday, the House Rules Committee voted 8-4 to approve rules that unite the annual defense policy bill with the Trump-endorsed election measures in a rather unusual procedure, which will then be sent to the Senate.
Interestingly, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who was part of the conservative faction that led last week’s SAVE-related blockades, chose not to vote.
Meanwhile, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) and leaders of the House SAVE protest expressed that procedural tactics alone won’t compel the Senate to act. Instead, they advocate for the SAVE amendment to be incorporated into the defense bill.
“The only way to guarantee this passes in the Senate is to include it in the NDAA bill’s text. That means my amendment must be prioritized,” the Florida Republican stated on X, emphasizing that this aligns with what 80% of Americans want. “I’m not trying to complicate things, but this is essential for us to fulfill our promises.”
Mr. Johnson’s proposal came after Conservatives turned down his efforts last week to include parts of SAVE in a larger budget bill.
Considering the slim majority of House Republicans, the Speaker will require support from fellow Republicans to pass rules that will firm up the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). They can only afford to lose a few defectors, as procedural votes tend to run along party lines.
The vote scheduled for Tuesday will also push forward a spending bill aimed at funding the State Department and other foreign operations for the fiscal year 2027, in addition to a resolution marking the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now referred to as the Working Families Tax Cut.
If the Republican leaders cannot progress with the bill, the House could effectively freeze, possibly allowing lawmakers to head back home early for the July 4 recess.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned that continuing to obstruct legislative efforts would be “self-defeating.” He noted, “It doesn’t make sense. We need to move ahead with legislation. That’s the message I plan to relay.”
Luna expressed hesitation to reopen the House floor until she receives guarantees from the Senate regarding the SAVE America Act’s future. “We’re not simply holding up the process,” she remarked to reporters. “This is about legislation.” She stood alongside Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), also involved in the SAVE protests, pointing out that voting purely along party lines wouldn’t serve their constituents well.
Democrats, hoping to see the proposed rules fail, contend that Republican dissidents should not heed their leadership, as the Republican proposal may lose its relevance once it reaches the Senate. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Conn.) claimed during the Rules Committee debate that “the Senate will only repeal the SAVE Act” and added that merging it into the NDAA wouldn’t change that outcome.
He stated, “Today’s rule gives a 0% chance that SAVE will be part of the NDAA.” In essence, he accused the leaders of trying to cover their backs.
The rules passed recently would allow SAVE to be included in the NDAA without requiring another vote from lawmakers.
However, the leaders did not select a version of the election bill that would encompass all of Trump’s desired “SAVE” priorities, such as reducing mail-in voting and prohibiting men from competing in women’s sports or undergoing child sex reassignment procedures. Johnson has yet to ask House Republicans to consider a comprehensive measure, creating uncertainty about whether restrictions on mail-in voting will pass.
Johnson’s push comes as House Republicans find themselves lacking the clout needed to push the bill past the Senate, with claims from leadership that they don’t have the necessary votes to move forward. The measure has struggled to gain unified support from Republicans, much less the 60 votes required to override a Democratic filibuster.
President Trump took to Truth Social to voice his frustration with five Republican holdouts: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky). He asserted that his generation “must vote to save our country,” demanding, “No more excuses!”
