As lawmakers head back to Washington, House GOP leaders are facing a challenging September filled with legislative hurdles.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is confronted with a looming deadline for government funding on September 30, amidst internal disputes between Republicans, while Democrats hold the potential to push for a shutdown.
He’s also under pressure regarding further disclosures about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which complicated his leadership plans prior to the August recess. Additionally, GOP members are interested in tackling hot-button issues like stock trading, alongside addressing crime and demands from President Trump.
Compounding this pressure, two special elections scheduled in September are expected to add Democratic seats due to recent deaths. Virginia’s election will occur on September 9, followed by Arizona on September 23.
This shift could tighten the GOP’s ability to manage party-line votes, potentially reducing them to only two votes instead of three if all members participate.
If the majority has insufficient time for a standard spending process, it may need to consider lawmakers who typically oppose Continuing Resolutions (CRs) to secure government funding—just one dissenting vote could complicate things significantly for the GOP.
The last GOP-crafted CR submitted in March faced a unanimous no from all Democrats and Rep. Thomas Massie, leading to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging action to avoid a government shutdown. For this tactic to succeed, House Republicans would need to present a united front.
“Time is a major pressure point, and I think it’s our greatest challenge,” noted Rep. Stephanie Vice (R-Okla.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “The first part of this session was focused on significant bills. Now, however, we must race against the clock to finalize the budget version.”
Republicans will also require some level of support for a vote regarding the investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack and the subsequent inquiry led by the previous Democratic majority.
A narrower majority may also impact Trump’s influence over Washington, especially concerning his attempt to oversee the Metropolitan Police Department, which began in mid-August. It remains unclear if Republicans will move forward with this, given it requires over 30 days of Congressional approval.
On top of that, lawmakers are pressing Trump for $2 billion from Congress to fund initiatives aimed at showcasing Washington. This follows a budget cut of $1 billion earlier this year that created significant funding gaps.
The pressures extend beyond Trump—this slimmer majority may embolden some Republicans to collaborate with Democrats to push controversial issues through discharge petitions. Such procedural moves, despite being rare, could allow members to bypass leadership if enough (218) support is rallied.
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) are spearheading a discharge petition aimed at pushing a bill for the release of what’s described as the Epstein files, which has gathered sufficient bipartisan co-sponsorship to possibly meet the necessary threshold if all Democrats also sign on.
The pair plan to spotlight the Epstein issue right from the start with a press conference featuring Epstein survivors, although the GOP’s climate appears less tumultuous than it did in July when the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas for related documents and testimonies.
Massie noted, regarding Epstein, “I really don’t think this will fade away anytime soon.”
Stock trading is emerging as another compelling topic likely to generate discharge petitions and bipartisan pressure. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FLA.) previously filed a discharge petition concerning proxy voting for new parents, although that initiative faced leadership pushback. Nonetheless, she intends to pursue a ban on individual stock trading by Congress members.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is another advocate for stricter stock trading regulations, focusing currently on navigating the committee process before pushing for a direct vote on the floor.
“We’re positioning ourselves as a bipartisan group, and we have the luxury of time now,” he stated. “I’ve communicated with Republican leaders about needing to move past the ‘big, beautiful bills’ and make strides on the president’s agenda.”
Luna also mentioned on a podcast that she is working on a discharge petition related to term limits for Congress members.
All these pressing issues are part of a significant legislative effort, not only representing a critical juncture of the year but also providing a platform for inserting additional priorities as the House tackles the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this month.
Earlier in the year, Republicans succeeded in pushing amendments to block the establishment of digital currencies by central banks into the NDAA. Additionally, the Tea Party Patriots Action group is advocating for legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote to be attached to critical measures like the NDAA.
