Trump Accuses GOP of ‘Grandstanding’ as House Blocks Legislation Over Save America Bill

President Donald Trump has accused House Republicans of playing into Democrats’ hands by stalling legislative business until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act, a GOP-backed voter ID bill.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) leads a coalition of Republicans in the lower chamber to block consideration of any bill until the Senate approves the legislation. The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and photo identification at polling places while tightening restrictions on mail-in ballots.

In a post on Truth Social Thursday night following a meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Trump wrote: “House Republicans should unify, and stop voting down ‘Rules’ or threatening to do so. Giving power to the Radical Left Dumocrats in the House to control what goes up for a Vote will make our outcomes worse, not better. No more grandstanding, please! They are the Dumocrats, and we can’t let them WIN!”

Luna told Newsmax Wednesday night: “There will be no votes on the House floor this week. We have a coalition formed of myself and other Republicans that are holding true to their word and to their voters; we want voter ID.”

House GOP leadership postponed a scheduled procedural rule vote Wednesday after the coalition threatened to bring the chamber to a standstill. By Thursday, no resolution was in sight, forcing Johnson to cancel votes on Friday and send the House home for the week without voting on the procedural measure.

En route to meet Trump, Johnson told reporters: “We’re in an era with small margins and small majorities, and we’ve got to get things moving.”

Johnson added that the House had previously passed the SAVE America Act three times: “We’ll do it again. We’re working on that, and I’m going to talk with the president about these issues and how to get the agenda moving again—it’s going to be very productive.”

House GOP leaders have been unable to advance key legislation this week, including two appropriations bills. The blockade also threatens consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act next week if the impasse continues.

Johnson has floated attaching the SAVE America Act to a reconciliation package that requires only simple majorities in both chambers. However, Luna has called such an approach “a non-starter” because Senate reconciliation rules generally prohibit non-budgetary provisions.

Luna wrote Thursday night on X: “Attach SAVE America to FISA or NDAA. Suggesting Reconciliation is an insult to our intelligence—everyone knows that will NEVER work. If Speaker Johnson wants us to open the House floor, these are the only options.”

Michael Katz has over three decades of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.