Anna Paulina Luna

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna made a mistake by helping sink a plan to merge the SAVE America Act with the annual defense spending bill. Even so, Johnson made clear he isn't holding a grudge against the Florida Republican.

"We all want the same thing," Johnson told Shannon Bream during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," per Politico. "She's a team player, she's a dear friend of mine, we're gonna get this done."

Luna's Move Froze House Business

Johnson's remarks followed a rebellion led by Luna last week, when she teamed up with a group of conservative lawmakers to vote down a slate of upcoming House votes. Her frustration centered on the lack of movement toward passing President Donald Trump's elections security proposal, Politico reported.

That revolt forced House Republican leadership to scrap votes on several major bills entirely, sending lawmakers home for recess earlier than planned.

At the heart of the standoff is the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship and a photo ID at the polls. Luna's blockade brought most House activity to a standstill over concerns that the Senate hadn't acted on the bill, even though Senate Republicans have argued the measure simply doesn't have the votes to pass in its current form.

Trump Has Pushed the Bill as a Top Priority

Trump has treated the elections bill as one of his most urgent priorities. He reportedly went as far as postponing the signing of a separate bipartisan housing bill because he wanted the elections legislation handled first.

Luna's decision to derail the House agenda stemmed specifically from worries that Johnson's plan to fold the SAVE America Act into the defense spending bill would give the Senate room to water down its provisions.

Johnson pushed back on that characterization Sunday, saying "what she was saying just simply isn't accurate."

Johnson Lays Out a New Strategy

With Senate Republicans reportedly losing enthusiasm for a third reconciliation bill, Johnson said his plan now is to attach the SAVE America Act to that legislation instead. Still, he was blunt about the odds of bipartisan support, saying "there is zero chance ... that seven Democrats are going to help us on election integrity."

Instead, Johnson described a strategy built around unifying his own party. "What we're planning to do is send over a bill that will be irresistible for any Republican," he said, adding that "every Republican would vote for that if packaged correctly, and that's what we're planning to do right now."

Johnson also expressed confidence that Trump would ultimately back the House's version of the SAVE America Act, one that leaves out a Senate provision that would restrict most forms of mail-in voting. According to Johnson, Trump understands that some of those additional Senate measures are "a bigger reach."

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Sagar Kar author

Sagar is a journalist with an interest primarily in geopolitics and American domestic politics. Before joining Times Now, he wrote for Republic and Sw ... View More

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