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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on Monday that he plans to use an unusual maneuver to merge the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after conservatives ground the House to a halt over the voter ID bill.
Hard-line conservatives have said they would oppose any procedural rules that tee up debate and a final vote on legislation until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot, or until the House takes further action to force the issue.
Johnson said that he will use a process called MIRVing, in which a procedural rule directs separately passed legislation to be packaged together and sent to the Senate.
“We’re going to pass a MIRV, or what’s better known as a merge onto the rule. So what that means is, when Republicans vote for the rule, they’ll be voting not just for the NDAA and everything else is there, but they’ll be voting to merge onto that the SAVE America Act we passed back in February,” Johnson said.
“So that will send both of those items together over to the Senate, and so if any Republicans choose to vote against the rule, they will be voting against that outcome. So we think this is another good way to show the resolve of the House,” he added.
The plan will likely face obstacles and continue the standoff between the chambers over the SAVE America Act.
The upper chamber can still strip out the SAVE America Act, which faces united Democratic opposition, from the NDAA. But the gambit risks complicating the passage of the defense bill, which is considered must-pass legislation.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who submitted an amendment to the House Rules Committee to attach the SAVE America Act to the NDAA, quickly came out against Johnson’s plan.
“’MIRVing’ the NDAA plus either SAVE America or Voter I.D. would still allow the Senate to strip out either or. The only way to ensure the Senate passes this is to make sure it’s in the bill text of the NDAA, meaning that my amendment(s) must be made an order. I’m not trying to be difficult, but this is what 80% of Americans want and what we promised the American people, so I stand by my decision,” Luna wrote on the social platform X.
Johnson’s plan also risks alienating Democrats, who are expected to oppose the NDAA if it includes the SAVE America Act. Democrats have fiercely criticized the measure, arguing that it would impose new barriers to voting.
Additionally, the House-passed bill that would be attached to the NDAA does not include limitations on mail-in ballots, one of President Trump’s major demands.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) had told reporters earlier when asked about Johnson’s plan that, “we might be able to get everything we want, but as Luna said, we’d need to see it on paper first.”
Asked about Johnson’s plan, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) said, “Any way to include the SAVE or SAVE America Act on everything coming out of the House, I’m for.”
Emily Brooks contributed to this report.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Andy Harris Anna Paulina Luna Mike Johnson Tim BurchettCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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