House Republicans are advancing a defense policy bill that bundles military spending, Iran war funding, and lawmaker stock trading rules with provisions from the SAVE America Act, despite Senate resistance to the elections legislation.
The defense bill, nearing a House vote, merges the SAVE Act’s voter ID requirements with $1 trillion in military authorization and $95 billion for Iran-related expenses. Lawmakers added $10 billion earmarked for enforcing the SAVE Act’s provisions, aiming to circumvent Senate gridlock by attaching the contentious measures to budget resolutions.
Speaker Mike Johnson secured buy-in from hardline Republicans by linking the SAVE Act—a law critics argue could suppress voter turnout—to unrelated bills. This includes requiring documentary citizenship proof for voter registration and stricter photo ID laws at polling stations. However, the Senate is unlikely to adopt the House’s version, as it lacks the 60 votes needed to move forward.
Republicans added similar voter restrictions to the stock trading bill, which would limit lawmakers’ ability to buy individual stocks but allow them to retain or sell existing holdings. Democrats oppose the combined package, arguing the voting provisions undermine access to ballots without sufficient justification.
The strategy reflects growing pressure within the GOP to prioritize election integrity claims ahead of midterm elections, even as evidence of widespread fraud remains unproven. While the defense bill may pass in the House, its tied provisions risk getting stuck in the Senate, where bipartisan opposition is expected to hold.
