Speaker Mike Johnson announced an unconventional strategy this Monday, aiming to address the deadlock on the House floor by merging the annual Pentagon policy bill with the contentious GOP elections reform, the SAVE America Act, into a single legislative package for Senate consideration.

This move could potentially jeopardize the passage of the crucial defense policy bill, which has historically enjoyed broad bipartisan support. The inclusion of the SAVE America Act, currently stalled in the Senate due to divisions within the GOP, raises the likelihood of continued standoff between the two legislative bodies.

In a brief conversation, Johnson emphasized the independence of the chambers stating, “I have to do my job in the House, and they've got to do their job in the Senate, so we'll see what happens.” His plan aims to appease the demands of House conservative hard-liners, including Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who have been vocal about adopting more aggressive tactics to ensure the Senate passes the elections bill.

Over the recent weekend, GOP leaders in the House deliberated over this plan as Representative Luna advocated for directly amending the defense bill. She expressed her expectations on Monday, stating, “We want it baked together, not able to be stripped out.”

However, the Senate retains the capacity to operate independently, and it is anticipated that any defense bill linked with the partisan elections bill will be rejected. This could possibly lead to the removal of the elections reform during the reconciliation of the different versions of the Pentagon bill drafted by the House and Senate later this year.

Adding to the complexity, Johnson has proposed a second approach to advance a pared-down version of the SAVE America Act through the budget reconciliation process, a method that has been nearly dismissed by hard-liners. Luna expressed skepticism about this method, telling reporters, “I don’t think that that can be done.”

Moreover, the version of the SAVE America Act that Johnson intends to attach to the Pentagon bill does not include recent demands by former President Donald Trump, which call for a near-total ban on mail voting—a measure that many Republicans oppose.

This strategic intertwining of two very different pieces of legislation highlights the intense negotiations and partisan challenges currently shaping U.S. legislative processes. As the House and Senate grapple with these critical bills, the outcome will significantly impact not only U.S. defense policy but also the foundational aspects of electoral administration and integrity.

*Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.*