Vice President JD Vance has canceled his scheduled appearance at the House Republican Conference meeting on Tuesday morning due to a scheduling conflict, according to a source familiar with the situation. Vance was invited by House Republican Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) to address the conference ahead of a procedural rule vote that has faced repeated failures on the House floor.
Republican leadership has had to cancel votes for two consecutive weeks due to a conservative blockade, with hard-liners threatening to paralyze the chamber until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act and codifies former President Donald Trump’s border policies. Last month, 13 GOP members blocked legislation from proceeding unless their demands, including the attachment of the SAVE America Act to the National Defense Authorization Act, were met. With a slim Republican majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) can only lose three GOP votes on any measure before needing Democratic support.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is leading the faction advocating for the SAVE America Act, which mandates voter ID to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship for voter registration nationwide. Although the House has previously passed the measure, it is stalled in the Senate due to insufficient support to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Additionally, some GOP hard-liners are dissatisfied with leadership for not scheduling a promised vote on an immigration bill that would limit asylum and parole. Johnson is attempting to persuade the dissenting members to reopen the House floor this week, including a measure to make daylight saving time permanent, which is a priority for Florida Republicans, as a potential compromise.
The House Rules Committee has also approved language that would allow the SAVE America Act to be merged with the National Security and State appropriations bill upon passage in the House. However, it remains uncertain if these concessions will satisfy the conservative hard-liners without direct pressure from the White House. Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) expressed skepticism, stating that making daylight saving time permanent is irrelevant without election integrity. The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House for comment.