Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is leading a blockade that has frozen the House floor to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill that has stalled in the upper chamber for months despite President Trump’s insistence it become law.
“There’s going to be no votes this week, and it’s going to be as long as it takes,” Luna told Fox News Digital in an interview, signaling the blockade could extend indefinitely. House Republican leadership responded by pulling a series of scheduled votes on Wednesday, with Speaker Mike Johnson forced to manage the standoff even as his razor-thin majority leaves little room for dissent.
The SAVE America Act, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and impose strict voter ID requirements. The House passed the bill on February 11, 2026, by a narrow margin of 218-213, according to the House Rules Committee and the Brennan Center for Justice. However, the Senate has repeatedly rejected the measure, with senators voting 48-50 against adding it to an immigration funding package in June, according to the Michigan Daily.
Trump has made the SAVE Act his top legislative priority. On June 24, he canceled the signing of a landmark bipartisan housing bill that had passed Congress with veto-proof majorities, declaring it “of minor importance” compared to the elections bill, according to PBS and USA Today. The move shocked GOP leaders and underscored Trump’s determination to force Senate action on the voter ID measure.
Luna’s blockade reflects the same hardball tactics Trump has employed. According to Politico, Luna and Trump are closely aligned, with the Florida lawmaker enjoying “Oval Office walk-in privileges” and speaking with the president frequently. Politico reported that House Republicans believe Luna is privately pushing Trump to maintain pressure on the Senate, even as Speaker Johnson attempts to keep his own legislative agenda moving.
The impasse has frustrated many Republicans, even those who support the SAVE Act. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said Luna “is going to have to start being a team player here,” noting that “you can’t be a team of one” in an institution as large as the House, according to Politico. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., a senior appropriator, called the self-imposed blockade “not our finest hour,” according to Politico, as scheduled votes on fiscal 2027 appropriations bills and the annual defense policy bill hang in the balance.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly said the votes do not exist in his chamber to pass the SAVE Act, citing universal Democratic opposition and some GOP defections. The Senate’s two-week recess around the July 4 holiday means no immediate action is expected, according to Fox News. Luna has indicated she will not relent, pushing to attach the SAVE Act to the must-pass Pentagon bill and threatening further blockades if that fails, according to Politico.
Johnson met with Trump on Thursday to discuss solutions, and Trump afterward called on GOP holdouts to stop blocking Republican bills. However, Luna has shown no sign of backing down, insisting that the voter ID bill is “the No. 1 most important issue in the country,” according to Politico.
Sources
- Fox News — Luna’s direct quotes on freezing the House floor, her claim to have the votes, and the blockade’s duration; details on House leadership pulling votes and the Senate’s recess timeline
- Politico — Luna’s relationship with Trump, her Oval Office access, GOP frustration with the blockade, Johnson’s meeting with Trump, and Luna’s push to attach the SAVE Act to the Pentagon bill
- Brennan Center for Justice — Confirmation that the House passed the SAVE Act on February 11, 2026
- House Rules Committee — Official record of the House vote on the SAVE Act on February 11, 2026
- Michigan Daily — Senate vote of 48-50 against adding the SAVE Act to an immigration funding package in June 2026
- PBS NewsHour — Trump’s cancellation of the housing bill signing and his declaration of the SAVE Act as a higher priority
- USA Today — Trump’s cancellation of the housing bill signing and his demands for Senate action on the SAVE Act
