Trump demands Republicans use budgetary gambit to pass voting reforms

Source: USA Today

July 7, 2026, 6:26 a.m. ET


President Donald Trump is demanding that Republicans combine a series of voting reforms with a defense spending bill his administration is pushing Congress to pass, in a long-shot bid to bring both measures to his desk before lawmakers leave on an extended recess. The House has repeatedly approved versions of the elections bill, known as the SAVE America Act, but the legislation lacks the support it needs to clear the Senate.

Trump has said he will not sign any other legislation until the measure becomes law. Trump said he had a new plan overnight to try to move the election reforms: for congressional leaders to attach it to his administration's request for $350 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon, as part of a mega bill that wraps all of Republicans' election-year priorities into one piece of legislation.

"I am calling on House and Senate Leadership to make this their Number One Priority, and ensure that 350 Billion Dollars in Recon 3.0 moves out of the Budget Committee as soon as Congress is back in session," Trump wrote on social media. "The SAVE AMERICA ACT, which everyone is asking for, paired with the full funding of our Great Department of War, can be passed very quickly, ensuring that the United States of America stays FREE for Generations to come."

The declaration came on the heels of an announcement by House Speaker Mike Johnson that he'd make one last attempt at passing voting restrictions when Republicans return from a holiday break.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/07/trump-republicans-congress-voting-spending-bill/90831034007/