On June 30, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives voted against a procedural rule that would have allowed debate on attaching the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The vote failed 198-224, with 14 House Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, effectively halting progress on the annual defense policy bill and other legislation ahead of the July 4 recess.

The failed rule would have enabled the attachment of the SAVE America Act to the NDAA through a special process called "MIRVing," which combines unrelated bills into a single package for transmission to the Senate if both passed the House.

Republican lawmakers voting against the rule included Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Chip Roy (TX), Victoria Spartz (IN), Thomas Massie (KY), Tim Burchett (TN), Eric Burlison (MO), Randy Fine (FL), Eli Crane (AZ), Max Miller (OH), Andy Harris (MD), Mike Turner (OH), Keith Self (TX), and Lauren Boebert (CO). House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA) also voted "no" as a procedural move to allow for reconsideration of the vote after further negotiations.

Speaker Mike Johnson expressed disappointment, stating, "I am very sad to tell you, because in the rule we would have had the merge, which means we merge together, literally, the SAVE America Act that we passed unanimously back in February, with the National Defense Authorization Act. Those two bills would have become one and been transmitted to the Senate in that way."

After the vote, Luna emphasized the SAVE America Act's relevance to national security and its suitability for inclusion in the NDAA.

Some Republicans, including Chip Roy, indicated their opposition was motivated more by a desire to pressure GOP leadership to advance border security legislation, particularly following a Supreme Court decision upholding birthright citizenship.

The House is now entering an early recess and will not return until July 13, with the stalled procedural vote contributing to the legislative standstill. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans entered recess early after a contentious meeting with former President Trump, who urged passage of the SAVE America Act.

Sources