A coalition of 14 House Republicans crossed party lines Tuesday to defeat a procedural rule that would have advanced the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), effectively paralyzing floor action and threatening Speaker Mike Johnson's plans to adjourn for the July 4 recess.
The rule failed 198-224, with GOP defectors joining every Democrat in opposition. The measure had paired the annual defense policy bill with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a top priority for President Trump that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The revolt was led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who argued that combining the bills did nothing to protect the voter ID legislation from being stripped by the Senate. Other hardliners, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), said their vote was less about the SAVE Act and more about pressing GOP leaders to schedule a border security bill.
Roy pointed to the Supreme Court's decision earlier Tuesday upholding birthright citizenship as a reason to go on offense. “We need to be on offense, and we’re not,” he said. “We ought to be codifying what the president’s doing.”
Speaker Johnson had unveiled a strategy known as MIRVing—sending both bills to the Senate together after passage—to appease conservatives frustrated that the Senate has not acted on the SAVE Act. But the maneuver failed to satisfy the rebels, who saw it as a weak compromise.
The list of GOP defectors included Reps. Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Eric Burlison (Mo.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Randy Fine (Fla.), Andy Harris (Md.), Max Miller (Ohio), Keith Self (Texas), Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Mike Turner (Ohio), Thomas Massie (Ky.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.). House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) also switched his vote to no as a procedural move to allow the rule to be brought back later.
For Turner, Miller, and Spartz, the vote was also a protest over the lack of a provision to restore pensions for Delphi salaried retirees, which they had hoped to attach to the NDAA.
The failed vote marks the second straight week that floor action has been frozen, delaying progress on the defense bill and other legislation. It comes amid a broader standoff between Johnson and his right flank, who have repeatedly blocked rules to force action on conservative priorities. Johnson had warned rebels earlier that such tactics were “self-defeating,” as reported previously.
The impasse also dovetails with ongoing battles over election integrity measures. A federal judge recently blocked Trump's bid to create a national voter database, adding to the urgency among conservatives to pass the SAVE Act.
With the recess looming, Johnson faces a narrow path to salvage his agenda. The speaker may need to negotiate directly with the rebels or find a way to bring the defense bill to the floor without their support. For now, the House remains stalled, and the NDAA—a must-pass bill—hangs in the balance.
