Mike Johnson forced to scrap House agenda as GOP hardliners seize control of floor

WASHINGTON, DC: Mike Johnson was forced to send House members home early Tuesday, June 30, after a revolt by GOP hardliners left the speaker unable to regain control of the chamber.

The setback halted nearly an entire week's legislative agenda. It also exposed Johnson's renewed struggle to steer President Donald Trump's priorities through an increasingly divided Republican conference.

GOP hardliners block Johnson's House agenda

A small group of conservative Republicans led by Rep Anna Paulina Luna refused to let the House move forward with the GOP's legislative plans until party leaders produced a strategy to pass Trump's federal elections overhaul bill.

Johnson made a last-minute appeal before the procedural vote collapsed.

CNN reports that according to three sources familiar with the exchange, he warned Luna and Rep Tim Burchett that they were "wrong," "don't get it" and that their votes would lead to "embarrassment."

Neither lawmaker changed course.

Hours after insisting lawmakers would remain in Washington to resolve the impasse, Johnson instead canceled the remaining votes and dismissed members until mid-July.

Visibly frustrated, the speaker blamed the small Republican majority and the actions of the holdouts.

"We have the smallest margin in US history. We're nearing an election. People get very emotional about things, and sometimes they make irrational decisions," Johnson said.

Earlier in the day, he also called Luna's protest a "self-inflicted wound" for Republicans.

Anna Paulina Luna refuses to back down

Luna rejected criticism from fellow Republicans and defended her tactics, saying she was using House procedure to push Trump's voter ID and proof-of-citizenship proposal.

"The fact that I'm being singled out because I know procedure — I'm not stupid. I'm going to fight on behalf of the American people," Luna said, as per the CNN report.

She added that she would end the floor protest only if GOP leaders agreed to attach Trump's elections measure to the annual defense bill.

"They're saying they won't, so now that you saw what happened on the floor," she said.

Republican Rep Troy Nehls voiced frustration over the stalemate, arguing the party was wasting a critical opportunity.

"I think we have squandered away an opportunity to do something great for the Fourth of July," Nehls said.

"The American people gave us Donald Trump and a unified Congress, right? We have both chambers, and ... we're squandering time away. We ain't going to be able to get it back," he said.

Trump's elections bill fuels GOP standoff

The confrontation also underscored a larger problem facing Republican leaders.

According to the report, Congress currently lacks the votes to pass Trump's elections overhaul in the form he wants, even with GOP majorities in both chambers.

“Luna and her allies have urged Senate Republicans to change Senate rules to move the legislation, but Senate GOP leaders have said they also lack the votes to do so,” the report said.

Rep Thomas Maisie, who voted against Johnson's procedural rule, said frustration inside the conference has been building for months.

"I think people are past their primaries and are getting restless," Massie said. "There are people who normally wouldn't vote against the rule and are doing it."