Republican rebellion halts key House votes, putting Trump’s agenda in limbo

A routine procedural vote in the US House of Representatives turned into an unexpected political showdown as nine Republicans rebelled against their own party, effectively bringing legislative proceedings to a halt for the rest of the week.
The move jeopardized two key bills backed by President Donald Trump’s administration that were scheduled for votes on Wednesday and Thursday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, expressed frustration over the setback, told Fox News, "It's a very disappointing result on the floor there, a handful of Republicans joined with all the Democrats to take down a rule. That's rarely done. It's very unfortunate." He confirmed that the disruption meant no further action could be taken on the House floor for the remainder of the week.
The blocked procedural rule would have allowed debate on two bills: one limiting district judges’ power to issue nationwide injunctions and another requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. The failure of the rule vote marked a significant blow to Republican leadership, which had strongly advocated for the measures.
Adding to the tension, the controversy intersected with an ongoing debate over parental leave policies in Congress. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, has been pushing bipartisan legislation to allow new parents in the House to vote remotely for 12 weeks following childbirth.
Seeking a way to bring the bill to the floor, Luna filed a "discharge petition," a rarely used procedural mechanism that can force a House-wide vote if it garners enough support. With backing from Democrats and some Republicans, her effort was on the verge of success.
However, House Republican leaders attempted to derail Luna’s bill by inserting language into an unrelated rules package that would have blocked the petition from moving forward. This maneuver sparked backlash from Republicans who either supported Luna’s efforts or opposed the leadership’s last-minute rule changes.
Following the rule’s failure, Luna told reporters, "I think that today is a pretty historical day for the entire conference and showing that, yeah, the body has decided that parents deserve a voice in Washington and also to the importance of female members having a vote in Washington D.C."
Several Republicans on the House Rules Committee were reportedly frustrated over being left out of discussions until the final moments before the vote. Nevertheless, all Republican members of the committee ultimately voted in favor of the rule.
Among the Republican lawmakers who voted against the rule were Representatives Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Greg Steube of Florida, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Nick LaLota of New York, Max Miller of Ohio, and Mike Lawler of New York.
Miller later explained his decision, stating, "I could not in good conscience vote for an unprecedented rule that would pull the rug out from under Representative Luna's discharge petition that got the required signatures fair and square." He added, "I cannot imagine a mother, who has spent 9 months going through the wringer, being told that you can't be with your infant because you are one of 435 people."
After the legislation failed, Democrats erupted in applause. While House GOP leaders could still reconvene the Rules Committee to revise the language and reschedule a vote, some lawmakers suggested it might be best to pause proceedings.
"Lots of torn-up feelings. Might be better to press pause for a couple of days," one House Republican remarked, signaling the deep divisions within the party.