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Can Johnson stop the bleeding?
Happy Tuesday morning.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s job these days is something like a triage nurse. His function almost every day in the Capitol is to stop the bleeding in the House Republican Conference.
The speaker’s decision to use the House Rules Committee to attach the SAVE America Act to the annual defense policy authorization bill is yet another Band-Aid that should keep the floor open this week — although that’s not guaranteed.
Don’t get us wrong: Johnson’s play was creative. There’s very little chance that House GOP leaders would’ve been able to advance a rule without this move. But it does little to mask the larger internal problems that House Republicans have with their agenda for the rest of 2026.
The SAVE America Act is still hanging out there with just one somewhat plausible path to the Senate — a party-line reconciliation bill that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has little interest in pursuing.
How to think about today. The proposed rule that will be up for a floor vote today calls for merging the annual Pentagon policy with the SAVE America Act. It’s a tried-and-true tactic for House leaders to try to load up the NDAA with partisan provisions.
Usually, this is done through the amendment process. But Johnson is attaching SAVE without even forcing members to go on the record again.
Now, remember: The SAVE America Act that Republicans are attaching to the NDAA isn’t the version that President Donald Trump has been demanding. This version is completely silent on mail-in balloting, one of Trump’s obsessions. It also doesn’t include language on transgender men playing women’s sports, something else Trump has harped on as part of the more aggressive version of this legislation.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) told us late Monday night she wasn’t inclined to go along with Johnson’s strategy. We’ll see if that holds true to what Luna does today. Voting against this rule would be a big statement after Johnson effectively acceded to her position.
Luna, who has been the conservative ringleader here, believes that Johnson can do more to ensure SAVE becomes law as part of the NDAA. But he truly can’t right now.
Johnson’s move does little more than establish the House’s position that the SAVE America Act should be enacted into law as part of the NDAA. But it’s a mostly theatrical maneuver. The final NDAA that Congress will send to Trump later this year will be a negotiated bill that Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate have signed off on.
Attaching SAVE to the annual Pentagon policy bill does nothing to change the reality that 53 senators voted for the voter-ID-and-citizenship verification bill, well short of the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. Twinning SAVE to the NDAA doesn’t change that math at all.
Here’s Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, late Monday night with a useful reality check for the SAVE hardliners:
“This really accomplishes nothing. The Senate has already moved to bring their own NDAA bill to the floor that doesn’t have this in it, they’ve made it clear they’re not going to take this up.
“I don’t know what Rep. Luna thinks. She’s accomplished nothing. … If we come to the floor tomorrow at noon and actually bring this up, then Luna was bought off, I guess, or this satisfied her. I don’t know how it would, because again this does nothing to force the Senate to accept this.”
Another Republican to watch is Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio).
The rule also covers the FY2027 National Security-State spending bill, a veterans benefit bill and a resolution to commemorate the first anniversary of the GOP’s tax bill. Democrats don’t believe that Republicans can pass the spending bill on their own. Democrats are expected to vote no.
Also. Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) is expected to make his return to the Capitol today after being absent for more than three months without any public explanation. Kean, who faces a difficult reelection, may make a floor speech today.
– Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan, Briana Reilly and Em Luetkemeyer
TOMORROW: Join us on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m ET to celebrate America 250 with Punchbowl News. We’ll sit down with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) to discuss the news of the day, AI infrastructure, small business and the American workforce. The event will also feature a fireside chat with David Casem, co-founder and CEO of Telnyx, and a Brown Bag LIVE previewing our upcoming special edition Canvass. RSVP now!
PRESENTED BY THE BOEING COMPANY
As America celebrates 250 years, we reflect on a shared journey of ingenuity. For over a century, we have helped put America in the air and in space—from the golden age of flight to the final frontier.
DEFENSE
NDAA floor fight takes shape
The House Rules Committee late Monday teed up a slew of more than 300 defense amendments for floor consideration, kicking off what’s sure to be heated debate over the Pentagon’s annual policy bill.
The panel opted against considering Democratic efforts to slash the proposed Pentagon’s FY2027 topline by $150 billion, block renaming the Defense Department as the “Department of War” and prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for President Donald Trump’s ballroom project, among other proposals.
But the GOP-dominated committee made plenty more in order:
Ukraine. Whether to continue U.S. aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia has divided Republicans — and that topic isn’t going away.
The rule would make in order an amendment from Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) that would bar the United States from using money to transport military forces to Ukraine or sustain U.S. troops there. While no U.S. servicemembers are involved in the Russia-Ukraine war, the amendment’s consideration could kick off a broader fight about U.S. security assistance for Kyiv.
Collective bargaining. Lawmakers will hold a vote on a proposal from Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) seeking to remove language protecting collective bargaining rights for Pentagon civilian employees after a bipartisan coalition added them in during the House Armed Services Committee markup.
This issue has divided Republicans, with a handful teaming up with Democrats on a successful discharge petition.
Partisan riders. Republicans are pushing amendments related to expanding firearm carrying on military bases; codifying a ban on transgender servicemembers; establishing a school choice pilot program; and barring foreign nationals from attending service academies.
In recent years, Republicans’ adoption of controversial provisions to the bill on the House floor has caused Democrats to oppose the NDAA en masse.
Auditing DOD. Several financial management-related amendments will be considered alongside the $1.15 trillion NDAA.
That includes a push from Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) that would compel DOD to log a clean audit for each of the three years after 2028, when the Pentagon is statutorily mandated to achieve an unmodified opinion.
Another amendment from Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, would require the Pentagon comptroller to begin an independent probe into financial management execution.
Meanwhile, Crane and Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have an amendment requiring the military to conduct a financial audit — and lose 0.5% of its budget if DOD flunks.
Lighter fare. Amidst the less-controversial amendments, the House will also vote on whether to bar speed cameras on military bases, mandate Pentagon-purchased flowers be domestically grown and publish a list of banned dietary supplements for servicemembers.
“I’ll let you know in three days,” Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) deadpanned when asked how the week might go.
Still to come. The Pentagon will hold a bipartisan briefing for members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on the Trump administration’s (uncertain) push for $67 billion in supplemental aid, three sources said.
House Republicans said there’s broadly a need for more information from the Trump administration about talks with Iran. This held true even after top Democrats and Republicans on senior committees got a classified briefing Monday.
“Congress wants more communication,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.) told reporters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff briefed all House and Senate members earlier Monday.
— Briana Reilly and Anthony Adragna
THE FUTURE OF HOUSING
Key players in the future of housing
The future of housing will depend on key lawmakers refining housing legislation, government agencies adopting rules for the sector and advocacy groups pushing for change.
From lobbying efforts to the recent passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the industry has been laser-focused on enacting policies aimed at making renting and owning a home more affordable.
We’re wrapping up our latest series, The Future of Housing, by exploring the key players involved in the housing sector.
Over the last month, the series has examined the state of the sector as the rising cost of living, high interest rates and a limited housing supply make shelter harder to afford. We also explored the legislative landscape, looking into the key policy actions driving the housing industry as lawmakers attempt to make housing more affordable.
We then spoke with Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), chair of the House Financial Services’ Housing and Insurance Subcommittee, who offered unique insight into the state of the housing crisis and what to expect if the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becomes law.
The housing deregulation bill is expected to become law sometime around July 10, if President Donald Trump doesn’t sign or veto it. Our project coincided with the passage of this major housing legislation in Congress, as well as National Homeownership Month.
Be sure to check out each of our editions and listen to the accompanying podcasts.
– Shania Shelton
AND THERE’S MORE
Big tax news. Derek Theurer, Treasury’s head of legislative affairs, is leaving the department.
Theurer has been Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s lead tax aide since the start of the second Trump administration and played a crucial role in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill. Theurer helped Bessent convene the “Big 6,” a key group of GOP leaders, administration officials and Republican tax writers that shaped OBBB. Most recently, Theurer served as Kevin Warsh’s sherpa, leading his confirmation process for Federal Reserve chair.
The exit is a notable shift for Treasury. Theurer had also served as acting deputy secretary and chief of staff to Bessent for a time. He’s a former top House tax aide.
Mason Champion, the principal deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs, will take over Theurer’s role in an acting capacity. Champion is a former aide to Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso.
Another former Hill tax staffer, Kyle Perel, recently took over as Treasury’s tax and budget-focused deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs.
Trump alumni. Pace McMullan, who was until recently the Trump White House’s lead Senate liaison, is joining the National Association of Convenience Stores as vice president of government relations.
The Money Game. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) brought Sens. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a fundraiser Friday that raised $150,000.
Endorsement watch. Democrat Chris Rabb, who won Pennsylvania’s 3rd District primary, is endorsing two left-wing Michigan Democrats: William Lawrence in the 7th District and Donavan McKinney in the 13th District. Lawrence is in a contested primary to take on Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), while McKinney is primarying Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.).
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) is endorsing Leela Gray in Florida’s 13th District.
— Laura Weiss, Jake Sherman and Max Cohen
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