House GOP Revives Trump Agenda After Luna’s Proxy Vote Standoff Ends

House Republicans are moving forward with two major bills backed by President Donald Trump following the resolution of a procedural standoff involving Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

The dispute had temporarily stalled legislative business, but an agreement reached over the weekend has cleared the path for action.

This week, the House is expected to vote on the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA), introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

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The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship during the voter registration process.

The NORRA bill would restrict the ability of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions that block policies advanced by President Trump.

Votes on both bills were initially planned for last week but were delayed after internal disagreement within the Republican conference over House voting procedures.

The disagreement was centered around Luna’s proposal to allow new parents to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks surrounding childbirth.

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The dispute reached a head last Tuesday when Luna attempted to force a vote on her proposal through a discharge petition, which would have allowed the measure to bypass standard procedures and be brought directly to the House floor if supported by a majority of members.

Speaker Johnson, who opposes proxy voting on constitutional grounds, sought to block the petition by attaching language to kill it in an unrelated bill that was brought to the floor that afternoon.

The attempt failed, temporarily halting House business and delaying votes on the SAVE and NORRA bills.

Over the weekend, a compromise was reached. Johnson’s office confirmed Sunday that the speaker informed GOP members of the agreement on a Republican-only conference call.

“Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement to bring back a procedure called live/dead pairing, which dates back to the 1800s. It will be open for the entire conference to use when unable to vote (e.g., new parents, bereaved, emergencies, etc.),” Luna wrote on X Sunday evening.

“Thanks to [Trump] and his guidance, as well as all of those who worked to get this change done, this is becoming the most modern, pro-family Congress we’ve ever seen.”

Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement to bring back a procedure called live/dead pairing, which dates back to the 1800s. It will be open for the entire conference to use when unable to vote (e.g., new parents, bereaved, emergencies, etc.).

Thanks to @POTUS and his…

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 6, 2025

The live/dead pairing method allows a member who is absent—such as a new parent—to have their intended vote canceled out by another member who votes the opposite way.

While neither vote is officially counted, both are recorded in the Congressional Record, preserving the position of the absent member.

As part of the agreement, Speaker Johnson’s office also said the deal includes plans to improve accessibility in the Capitol for young mothers.

The previous procedural breakdown was described as a setback for House GOP leadership, as efforts to push forward with the SAVE Act and NORRA were halted due to the internal disagreement.

The failure to advance the bills last week came during what is typically considered routine House business.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are also preparing to move ahead with legislation tied to the Senate’s reconciliation framework.

That package is expected to contain major components of President Trump’s policy agenda, including reforms to defense, energy, border security, and taxes.

Discussions continue over how to align the House’s approach with the Senate’s version, as some fiscal conservatives have expressed concerns over potential discrepancies.

Despite the delay, Republican leaders are signaling that they are ready to proceed with the reconciliation package and the Trump-backed bills as the House returns to full legislative activity this week.

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