House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a plan to attach election integrity legislation to the annual defense bill as a way to pressure the Senate into action on voting requirements.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, outlined the strategy Monday in response to a standoff among hard-line conservatives who blocked routine House business until the chamber advanced the SAVE America Act. The bill, originally passed in February, would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and photo identification at polling places in federal elections.
The Strategy
Johnson plans to use a parliamentary procedure called “MIRVing” to merge the election measure onto the rule governing floor consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, Congress’s annual military spending bill. “When Republicans vote for the rule, they’ll be voting not just for the NDAA and everything else that’s there, but they’ll be voting to merge onto that the SAVE America Act we passed back in February,” Johnson said.
The maneuver would send both bills to the Senate as a combined package, making opposition to the rule equivalent to voting against the election legislation. However, Senate lawmakers could still strip the SAVE America Act during consideration of the merged bill.
Republican Disagreement
The approach has drawn criticism from within the Republican conference. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, wrote on social media that “MIRVing” the defense bill would still allow the Senate to remove the election provisions, calling instead for incorporating the language directly into the bill through amendments.
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said members need to review the proposal before committing support. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland, however, backed any effort to advance the legislation.
Democratic Opposition and Next Steps
Democrats have opposed the SAVE America Act as an unnecessary voting barrier and are expected to resist the NDAA if the election measure remains attached. Republicans argue the bill protects election integrity by ensuring only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections.
Johnson’s proposal highlights ongoing tensions within the Republican conference over using must-pass legislation to achieve policy goals. The fate of both the defense bill and election reforms remains uncertain as negotiations continue.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Digital Team contributed to this report.
