House conservatives' decision to grind the chamber to a halt in an effort to force Senate action on the SAVE America Act is drawing sharp backlash from Republicans across the conference, who say the strategy is accomplishing little beyond derailing their own agenda.House Republicans were forced to punt several votes this week after the conservative splinter group, led by Rep.Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., used a routine procedural hurdle teeing up legislation as leverage to force the Senate to consider the stalled election bill.The tactic appeared to fall flat after the Senate left Washington for a planned recess Wednesday while the House floor remained at a standstill, leaving SAVE no closer to passage. 'AS LONG AS IT TAKES': TRUMP ALLIES FREEZE HOUSE FLOOR TO PRESSURE SENATE ON VOTER ID BILLRep.
Ralph Norman, R-S.C., speaks during the House Freedom Caucus news conference in the U.S.Capitol urging Senate action on the SAVE America Act on June 25, 2026.
(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images)"It's a mess," Rep.Nicholas Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital.
"We have to be able to continue to function.""It's just creating more inaction and more reasons for people to have a bad taste in their mouth about the U.S.House," he continued, referring to the legislative paralysis.Even after President Donald Trump urged the group to stand down in a Truth Social post Thursday after meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., it's unclear whether his directive to "stop grandstanding" will be enough to reopen the House floor when lawmakers return Monday. Luna, a Trump ally, is pushing for the SAVE America Act to be attached to the annual defense policy bill expected to receive a vote in the House next week.TWO DOZEN HOUSE REPUBLICANS GO TO WAR WITH SENATE GOP OVER SAVE AMERICA ACTPairing the measures could jeopardize consideration of the must-pass defense bill and would likely doom its chances in the Senate, where Republican leadership insists the votes aren't ther...