House Republicans face a limited timeframe to advance their legislative agenda before the midterm elections, with approximately one month remaining for legislative work. Due to canceled votes and internal divisions, several key bills, including government funding, a highway bill, a farm bill, and a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill passed by the Senate, remain unaddressed.
Additionally, Congress must extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire soon. The House GOP leadership has canceled nine of the last 17 scheduled voting days, contributing to the legislative backlog. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently canceled two voting days, resulting in only two days of voting on legislation.
Despite the slow progress, some Republicans express confidence that the Senate's actions are the primary obstacle to legislative success. They argue that if the Senate were to pass the bills sent from the House, it would alleviate scheduling disruptions. Some GOP members believe that spending less time in Washington allows them to engage more with their constituents.
Democrats have noted the lack of productivity in the House and may leverage it as a campaign issue. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee criticized House Republicans for their limited legislative activity, highlighting that they worked only two days in Washington last week. Democrats have also utilized their minority status to force votes when possible, including a recent resolution to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran, which passed with support from four Republicans.
The House also voted to provide an additional $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, with bipartisan support for the measure. A discharge petition was used to bring this bill directly to a floor vote, bypassing the committee process. Another recent vote attempted to restrict Trump's support for Israel's military actions in Lebanon but ultimately failed.
