Pentagon policy bill
Coverage of Pentagon policy bill in the Nexus archive.
- Capitol agenda: SAVE America swallows Washington
Speaker Mike Johnson faces challenges in advancing the SAVE America Act, a key election security bill backed by Donald Trump, as hard-liners in the House GOP demand procedural changes to force Senate action. The Supreme Court's decision allowing postmarked mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day has intensified support for the bill, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated the combined defense and election bill would fail in his chamber.
- Pentagon and elections bills could be combined in bid to unfreeze House floor
Speaker Mike Johnson plans to combine the annual Pentagon policy bill with the GOP elections bill, the SAVE America Act, to advance both through the House. The Senate is expected to reject the combined package, potentially causing a legislative standoff and delaying the defense bill. House conservatives, including Anna Paulina Luna, support merging the bills but oppose a slimmed-down version of the SAVE Act through budget reconciliation.
- Trump calls on House GOP hard-liners to end floor blockade
President Donald Trump urged House GOP hard-liners to end their floor blockade to prevent major bills from being derailed. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and allies threatened to block procedural measures until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act, risking other bills like the Pentagon policy and fiscal 2027 appropriations. Trump also refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill, complicating its passage.