The House GOP leadership faces a critical test this week as they attempt to break a conservative revolt that has brought the House floor to a standstill for weeks.
The rebellion, involving dozens of Republicans, has repeatedly forced House Speaker Mike Johnson to pull votes on key legislation, grinding House business to a halt just months before the November midterm elections.
Conservatives are demanding that the Senate pass the stalled SAVE America Act and that House GOP leadership allow a vote on sweeping border security legislation. Neither demand appears close to being met amid GOP divisions, raising questions about whether Johnson can advance any major legislation this week.
Vice President JD Vance had planned to attend a Republican conference meeting but postponed his visit to a later date, according to a recent report. The White House is now helping House Republican leadership to end the conservative revolt, which has effectively paralyzed the House floor.
Trump previously urged conservative rebels to reopen the House floor and stop "grandstanding," but they did not relent. Johnson is racing this week to advance an annual government spending bill funding the State Department and a measure making Daylight Saving Time permanent, a priority of President Donald Trump.
GOP leadership is hoping that a procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon will pass, despite some holdouts criticizing Johnson's legislative agenda for the week. One congressman wrote on social media, "Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity. Priorities."
Republicans are not expected to bring the annual defense policy bill up for consideration again this week after holdouts torpedoed a procedural vote in June. The House initially proposed combining the NDAA with the SAVE America Act, but holdouts argued it was inadequate because there was no guarantee the Senate would keep the election security measure in the final product.
Conservatives are now advocating for House leadership to fight for the SAVE America Act's inclusion in a compromise NDAA bill negotiated between the House and Senate. However, Senate Republicans have repeatedly argued that the votes do not exist in their chamber to pass the Trump-backed election bill.
A group of House conservatives are also pressing GOP leadership for a vote on border security legislation known as the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act. The bill would require the completion of border wall construction, tight asylum requirements, and prohibiting catch-and-release policies, among other provisions.
