House Pushes Forward Trump Agenda After Johnson Strikes Deal with GOP Rebels

House Republicans are advancing two major bills this week, both with the enthusiastic backing of former President Donald Trump. After weeks of procedural gridlock, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., reached a deal with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., resolving a contentious debate over voting procedures for new parents in Congress.

The legislative agenda includes the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, spearheaded by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, which mandates proof of citizenship during voter registration, and the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA) from Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., aiming to curb district court judges from issuing nationwide orders that block Trump-era policies. Both bills were stalled last week due to a procedural standoff that left the House floor at a standstill.

Luna announced on X Sunday evening, "Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement to bring back a procedure called live/dead pairing, which dates back to the 1800s. It will be open for the entire conference to use when unable to vote (e.g., new parents, bereaved, emergencies, etc.)." She credited Trump for his support in pushing for this change, calling the current Congress "the most modern, pro-family" in history.

The agreement introduces an old congressional custom allowing absentee votes to be "paired" with opposing votes, effectively canceling both while recording their stances in the Congressional Record. Johnson’s office also noted new measures to improve accessibility for young mothers in the Capitol.

The procedural clash reached its peak last Tuesday when a small group of GOP lawmakers disrupted plans to block Luna’s proposal for proxy voting for new parents. Luna had intended to force a vote via a discharge petition, a mechanism enabling lawmakers to bypass leadership if a majority of the chamber supports the move. However, Johnson, an opponent of proxy voting, attempted to thwart the effort by attaching language to kill discharge petitions to an unrelated measure. The maneuver backfired, marking an embarrassing procedural misstep for GOP leaders.

Despite the internal friction, Republican leaders are determined to proceed with broader legislative efforts aligning with Trump’s agenda. This includes a massive bill covering defense, energy, border security, and tax reforms, although fiscal conservatives remain wary of discrepancies between House and Senate priorities.