The Republican conference in Congress is deeply split over competing priorities ahead of the midterms, including the SAVE America Act, additional defense funding for the Iran war and efforts to eliminate the Senate filibuster. The House passed a budget blueprint with more than $70 billion for defense and roughly $10 billion in election-related grants that could encourage SAVE provisions, but key Senate Republicans remain skeptical. Concerns include inadequate Pentagon funding, the logistical and political difficulty of implementing SAVE before November, and the risks of reconciliation-driven "vote-a-ramas." With August and October recesses looming, lawmakers face a narrow window to reconcile differences.
GOP Fractures Over SAVE Act and Iran-War Funding as Midterms Loom
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during the Bossier Chamber of Commerce Public Policy series luncheon with partners at the Greater Shreveport Chamber on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 24, 2025, at the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport, La.(Henrietta Wildsmith, The Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Congressional Republicans are sharply divided as they approach a pivotal midterm season, split over competing priorities that include voting restrictions, additional defense spending tied to the Iran war, Cabinet confirmations and the future of the Senate filibuster.
House Advances Budget Blueprint
The House passed a party-line budget blueprint that would allocate more than $70 billion for defense and intelligence — funds intended in part to replenish munitions and weapons used during the Iran war — and set aside several billion dollars for farm assistance. The plan also earmarks roughly $10 billion for election-related grants that Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House say could be used to encourage states to adopt parts of the SAVE America Act, the White House-backed election overhaul that would restrict mail-in voting and require photo ID and proof of citizenship for ballots.
Senate Pushback and Concerns
Senate Republicans are far less united. Because the vehicle is structured as a reconciliation bill, it could pass the Senate with a simple majority (50 votes), avoiding the 60-vote filibuster threshold. That prospect has intensified debate within the conference.
Some senators, including Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), say the package does not provide enough Pentagon funding to address depletion tied to the Iran conflict. Others, like retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), oppose including complex voting provisions from the SAVE Act on practical grounds — arguing they are difficult to implement before the election and distract from other Senate priorities. Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell have also resisted parts of the proposal.
"People are selling you a bill of goods," Sen. Thom Tillis said on the Senate floor, criticizing efforts to tack SAVE provisions onto high-priority funding legislation.
Leadership Worries and Political Risks
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has warned that another reconciliation push could preempt the work of multiple committees and subject Republicans in swing states to politically awkward votes during marathon "vote-a-rama" sessions — a procedural result of party-line budget bills that can hand Democrats unusual leverage. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) lamented that the party has been "overpromising and underdelivering," a dynamic he says could hurt morale and turnout ahead of the midterms.
Top White House officials, including OMB Director Russ Vought, met with Senate Republicans to build consensus, but several senators, such as Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), left unconvinced: "I've seen this vampire movie before. I'm not sure we have a plan," he said.
What This Means Ahead Of November
With extended recesses scheduled in August and October, both chambers have only a limited number of weeks in session before the November elections. That tight timeline raises the stakes for resolving intraparty disputes and delivering on promises while avoiding politically risky votes that could reverberate in battleground races.
Reporting: Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY. Reach: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during the Bossier Chamber of Commerce Public Policy series luncheon with partners at the Greater Shreveport Chamber on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 24, 2025, at the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport, La.(Henrietta Wildsmith, The Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks the the media after walking off the House floor at the US Capitol on Sept. 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House on Friday passed a stopgap measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, setting up a showdown with the Senate.(Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images)
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople Bartholomew I and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) pose for a photograph as they meet at the U.S. Capitol Building on Sept. 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Bartholomew I is meeting with political leaders and will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) talks briefly with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Johnson answered questions about security for members of Congress following the assassination of conservative pundit and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) (L) presents the Congressional Gold Medal to American road racing cyclist Greg LeMond (R) during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol on July 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. LeMond, a two-time Road Race World Championship and a three-time Tour de France champion, was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal to honor his success.(Alex Wong, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (C) is congratulated by his fellow Republicans after signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during an enrollment ceremony in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald TrumpÕs 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cut taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nationÕs debit limit by $5 trillion.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds up the final vote tally after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald TrumpÕs 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cut taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nationÕs debit limit by $5 trillion.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
President Donald Trump arrives with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, for a meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2025, in Washington, DC.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaker Mike Johnson honored winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition and Congressional Commendation recipients at the 2025 Community Awards Ceremony for Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District Wednesday morning, April 23, 2025, at the BPCC campus.(Henrietta Wildsmith, The Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (L) and House Speaker Mike Johnson walk away after presenting a wreath on behalf of the Legislative Branch a memorial ceremony for former President Jimmy Carter in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. Carter's body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until a funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington on January 9. Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024 at his home in Plains, Georgia.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks to reporters after the House narrowly passed a budget bill forwarding President Donald Trump's agenda at the U.S. Capitol on May 22, 2025.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) takes a question from a reporter during a news conference following a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. House Republicans continue to work on finding consensus for their budget plan.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
(L-R) U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other administration officials attend a National Day of Prayer event hosted by President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 1, 2025 in Washington, DC The National Day of Prayer is a congressionally recognized observance that calls on people of all faiths to participate in a day of prayer and reflection.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud behind him on Mar. 4, 2025.(Pool photo by Win McNamee via Imagn Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican from Louisiana, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they speak to the press at the US Capitol following their closed-door meeting in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2025.(OLIVER CONTRERAS, AFP via Getty Images)
Speaker Mike Johnson leading a press conference, at podium, along with National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chair Rep. Richard Hudson, left, and House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, second from left, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, back right, on Nov. 12, 2024 at the United States Capitol.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker Mike Johnson leading a press conference with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chair Rep. Richard Hudson on Nov. 12, 2024 at the United States Capitol.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a campaign rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on October 27, 2024.(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) chats wih US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R) alongside former US First Lady Melania Trump during the 79th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Hilton Midtown in New York, October 17, 2024.(TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP via Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson responds to reporters questions while departing a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies.(Mark Hoffman, USA TODAY)
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), center, pays tribute to fallen police officers during a prayer vigil and flag ceremony on Capitol Hill with other House member and family members of fallen police officers on May 14, 2024.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (C) and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (3-L) listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump (Bottom-L) talks with reporters as he arrives for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to an extramarital affair with Stormy Daniels, at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 in New York City. Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.(Pool photo by Justin Lane, via Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) stands for the national anthem during the statue dedication ceremony for civil rights leader Daisy Bates in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024, in Washington, DC. Bates was a civil rights activist from Arkansas who mentored the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who desegregated schools in Arkansas. The statue of Bates is replacing one of Uriah M. Rose, an attorney and former president of the Arkansas Bar Association.(Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act during a news conference on May 8, 2024.(Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) leaves after speaking to members of the press after Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) introduced a motion to vacate on the floor of the House of Representatives seeking to remove Johnson from his leadership position at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024, in Washington, DC. The House voted 359 to 43 to table the motion to vacate.(Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to members of the press after Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) introduced a motion to vacate on the floor of the House of Representatives seeking to remove Johnson from his leadership position at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024, in Washington, DC. The House voted 359 to 43 to table the motion to vacate.(Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol on May 7, 2024, in Washington, DC.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks with reporters as the Borg-Warner Trophy, the trophy presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500, passes by as it was being relocated from the Senate offices to the House offices, following a news conference at the US Capitol on May 7, 2024, in Washington, DC.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
President Joe Biden, House and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, (R-LA) at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listens during a news conference at the US Capitol on May 7, 2024, in Washington, DC.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker Mike Johnson, speaks on the campus of Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in New York City.(Kevin R. Wexler / NorthJersey.com)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) walks through National Statuary Hall prior to the House Republican impeachment managers delivering the article of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, President Joe Biden's top border security official, at the Capitol, April 16, 2024.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson welcome Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as he addresses Congress in Washington on Apr 11, 2024.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Mae Krier stands with Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson along with other members during a ceremony honoring “Rosie the Riveter” women Wednesday, Apr 10, 2024. These women joined the U.S. workforce during World War II to provide military equipment materials to win the war. Krier received the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of women like her in recognition of their contributions to the United States.(Megan Smith, USA TODAY)
President Joe Biden shakes hands with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson after delivering the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington March 7, 2024. At left is Vice President Kamala Harris.(Josh Morgan, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson takes a selfie before President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington March 7, 2024.(Josh Morgan, USA TODAY)
House Speaker Mike Johnson, center, following the departure of President Joe Biden after the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 15, 2024.(Jack Gruber, Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK)
House Speaker Mike Johnson holds a press conference along with House Republican leadership on Feb. 14, 2024 one day after the House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) greeting visitors during a House recess prior to final voting of the day as the groups were touring the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, Jan.18, 2024 in Washington, D.C.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson departing after speaking to the media on Jan. 17, 2024 along with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota).(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) walks back to his office following a vote in the U.S. Capitol on January 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. Earlier in the day, House Freedom Caucus members left a meeting in the Speaker's office saying that they were talking to the Speaker about abandoning the spending agreement that Johnson announced earlier in the week.(Anna Rose Layden, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), right, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, second from right, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), third from right, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Congressman Jim Clyburn, (D-SC), second from left, and Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), left, during the playing of the National Anthem as Larry Doby, a pioneering force for Black baseball players and a native of Paterson, N.J. is honored with the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, right, meeting with United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron , left, on Dec. 6, 2023 at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the U.S. Capitol to meet with Congressional leadership on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. President Zelensky is meeting with President Biden and Congressional leaders to make an in-person case for continuing military aid as the country runs out of money for their war against Russia. The meetings come days after the Senate failed to advance President Biden's national security package that included aid to Ukraine.(Drew Angerer, Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), at the lighting of the 63-foot Norway spruce from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia during the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 28, 2023.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) taking one of two questions he allowed before departing a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the United States Capitol on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a television interview on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on November 14, 2023. Congress has a November 17, 2023 deadline to vote on government funding to avoid a shutdown.(STEFANI REYNOLDS, AFP via Getty Images)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-LA., returns to his office in the U.S. Capitol on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds a press conference with House Republican leadership on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 in Washington.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) at press conference with leadership including House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, (R-NY), right, on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 in Washington.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (center) walks through the United States Capitol Rotunda with Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), left, and Rick Scott (R-FL), right, heading to a meeting with Senators on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Newly elected Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La, is sworn in after being elected to the speakership on Oct. 25, 2023. Johnson was the fourth candidate nominated by the GOP for the role after Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 in a move led by a group of hardline House conservatives.(Eric Kayne/USA TODAY)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, hands the gavel to the newly elected Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., on Oct. 25, 2023.(Eric Kayne, USA TODAY)
Oct 25, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. acknowledges House republicans as he is elected the new speaker of the House in Washington on Oct. 25, 2023.. Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 in a move led by a group of hardline House conservatives.(Eric Kayne, USA TODAY)
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., left, speaks Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. after Johnson was elected the new speaker of the House in Washington on Oct. 25, 2023. Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 in a move led by a group of hardline House conservatives.(Eric Kayne, USA TODAY)
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks after he was chosen as the Republicans latest nominee for House speaker at a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. The seat has been vacant since Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 in a move led by a group of hardline House conservatives.(Kent Nishimura, USA TODAY)
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., leaves a House Republican conference meeting in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. Members of the GOP conference met for a closed-door vote to select their nominee for Speaker of the House.(Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with members of the press as house lawmakers seek to elect a new speaker in Washington on Oct. 24, 2023.(Kent Nishimura, USA TODAY)
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., questions Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, testifies in front of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington on July 26, 2023.(Jack Gruber, Jack Gruber-USA TODAY)
Congressmen Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., center, and Mike Johnson, R-La., right, walk through the United States Capitol rotunda on the way to the Senate Chambers to begin the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on Feb. 9, 2021. Trump faces a single article of impeachment charging him with “high crimes and misdemeanors” for inciting a mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The insurrection left 5 people dead including a U.S. Capitol.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., left, speaks with Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. during the House Judiciary Committee markup of H.Res. 755, Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald J. Trump in Washington on Dec. 12, 2019.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
From left lower, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. and from left top, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. huddle during a break as the House Judiciary Committee holds the first formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump to explore how the Constitution applies to allegations of misconduct on Dec. 4, 2019.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to panelists at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties during a hearing on reparations for slavery on June 19, 2019 in Washington. The hearing coincides with Juneteenth, a holiday that marks the date that Texas abolished slavery in 1865.(Hannah Gaber, USA TODAY)
Mike Johnson, R-La., stands with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, for a ceremonial swearing-in and photo-op during the opening session of the 115th Congress, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington.(Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) speaks with reporters after the House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution on the ongoing Iran war on July 23, 2026.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) looks on as Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) speaks with reporters on February 25, 2025.
Help us improve.
