President Trump just threw a political grenade into the House GOP leadership—and it landed right at Speaker Mike Johnson’s feet.
On Thursday, aboard Air Force One, Trump publicly endorsed Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s (R-FL) proxy voting bill for new parents, a move that not only upends Johnson’s campaign to kill the legislation but puts the weight of the MAGA movement squarely behind pro-family reform in the House.
“I’m going to let the speaker make the decision, but I like the idea … I’m in favor of that … I would agree with that,” Trump said, brushing off the “controversy” surrounding the bill. “I don’t understand why that’s controversial.”
Let’s be clear: when Trump says he agrees with something, it’s not a suggestion—it’s a marching order.
Luna’s bill, which allows 12 weeks of proxy voting for new parents in Congress, has split Republicans down the middle—between the populist conservatives who actually want to build a pro-family, working-class movement, and the old-school, ivory tower “constitutional purists” still clinging to outdated procedures while the country burns.
Speaker Johnson (R-LA) has made it his mission to kill the bill, calling it “unconstitutional,” despite the fact that proxy voting was widely embraced by Democrats during COVID lockdowns—something Johnson’s own allies once raged against.
Now suddenly, when a conservative woman wants to use it to support new moms, it’s heresy?
Give us a break.
“The president assured that this would get resolved,” Luna told reporters Wednesday. And Trump made good on that promise the next day, sending a clear signal: this is no longer up for debate.
Backroom Chaos, Rule Votes Collapsing, and a GOP Split Wide Open
Johnson’s leadership took a hit this week when nine Republicans joined all Democrats to tank a key procedural rule vote, which included language meant to bury Luna’s bill. The rule’s collapse also froze progress on the SAVE Act and the No Rogue Rulings Act, critical elements of Trump’s agenda meant to combat voter fraud and judicial activism.
Instead of fighting forward, Johnson pulled the plug on House votes for the rest of the week, effectively handing Democrats a win and grinding the Trump agenda to a halt.
Let that sink in—all because of a spat over whether new parents in Congress can have a few weeks of voting flexibility to care for their children.
Luna, for her part, is not backing down. She’s already moved to file her bill as “privileged,” forcing Johnson’s hand. That gives leadership two legislative days to bring it to the floor—and the early recess has only bought them until Tuesday.
If they ignore her? She and her supporters are ready to tank more rules until the bill gets a fair vote.
This is what actual representation looks like—a conservative woman standing her ground against backroom boys’ club politics, backed by the only voice in the Republican Party that matters: Donald J. Trump.
And while Johnson claims to “empathize” with new parents, he continues to dig in behind bureaucratic excuses. In a lengthy statement, he said:
“All of us have a responsibility to defend and uphold the Constitution… I simply cannot support the change they seek.”
Translation? He’d rather preserve outdated rules than support working families in public service.
Johnson says he’ll “create accommodations” for moms in Congress. Great. But when it’s time to vote on something meaningful, he caves.
This is the same old Republican routine—talk pro-family, but do nothing. Trump and Luna are calling that bluff.
