Republican Party Internal Politics

Roughly 40 House conservatives, led by figures like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, have blocked routine, Senate-originated bills — including a previously noncontroversial SBIR extension — to pressure Congress to take up the Trump-backed SAVE America Act, forcing Speaker Mike Johnson to rely on Democratic votes to move Senate measures. The Senate has opened a marathon debate on the bill, which would impose documentary proof‑of‑citizenship and stricter ID and registration rules for new voters and faces fierce Democratic opposition and GOP dissents (Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against advancing it and Sen. Thom Tillis withheld his vote); GOP leaders say they lack the votes to overcome a 60‑vote threshold even as Trump pushes for passage and party hardliners press procedural gambits.