President Donald Trump met with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday (June 25) amid rising tensions within the Republican Party over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. Trump urged conservative Republicans to stop "grandstanding" and unify, as some members of the House Freedom Caucus have vowed to block all procedural rules until the act passes.

The SAVE America Act, which mandates proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot, has passed the House but stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition. Trump has stated he will not sign any bipartisan housing bill until the act is passed, causing gridlock in Congress.

Johnson is attempting to advance the act by proposing a grant program tied to a Republican reconciliation package. This approach aims to bypass the Senate filibuster, but has faced pushback from hard-line conservatives who prefer the full legislation. According to The Hill, Johnson said, "We believe that if you create a grant program that ties it to reconciling the budget, and you allow blue states...to avail themselves of election integrity proposals...they can draw down from a federal fund."

Trump's insistence on the act has disrupted the GOP legislative agenda, with some conservatives urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune to eliminate the filibuster to pass the measure. However, Thune has not supported this move, as reported by The Hill.

The ongoing gridlock has also affected other GOP priorities, including a third budget reconciliation package and a renewal of the government's warrantless surveillance authorities. Trump has canceled the signing of a bipartisan housing bill, further complicating matters. CNBC reports that Trump stated, "Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT."

As Congress faces a tight timeline to pass the act, the situation remains tense, with Trump and Johnson working to find a resolution.