GOP lawmakers tackle challenge of turning Trump actions into laws
Republican lawmakers who are jubilant about President Trump’s flurry of executive orders and actions reshaping the government are staring down a challenge: making those changes last by turning them into law.
For now, the GOP majorities in Congress are largely happy to cede power to the executive branch as Trump tests the limits of his executive authority.
But as court challenges and future elections threaten to undo those actions, these lawmakers are strategizing about how to cement them into legislation and then law.
House Republicans in the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest caucus of conservatives, launched a “Set in Stone” initiative to start to identify Trump policies to write into law and pass them through Congress.
That’s not an easy task. With few exceptions, lasting policy changes would need to clear a 60-vote threshold to advance in the Senate, necessitating support from at least seven Democrats who have no incentive to help Trump secure legislative wins.
But Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), chair of the Republican Study Committee, says this is just the start of working with congressional leadership to identify opportunities.
“We have identified a handful of bills knowing that some of them are challenging to get across the finish line, but understanding that the American people elected Donald Trump to do these types of things,” Pfluger said.
Those bills include the Dismantle DEI Act, led by Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), to end diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the federal government; the Birthright Citizenship Act, led by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), to not provide automatic citizenship to people born to noncitizen parents who do not have permanent residency status; and Rep. Brandon Gill’s (R-Texas) bill to codify the "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also has bills to make English the official language of the United States, to codify the Gulf of America name change, and the Protect Children’s Innocence Act outlawing gender-affirming surgery for minors.
“We're calling for swift floor votes in both the House and the Senate on these critical pieces of legislation,” Pfluger said in a press conference. “The new golden age and America isn't just a slogan. It's a promise to the American people.”
Yet one of the bills being pushed by the new initiative shows the challenge of getting any of the measures across the finish line and codified.
Senate Democrats earlier this month blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, led by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), which would have prohibited transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
Republicans were hoping that Democrats, some of whom have softened on their support for transgender athletes in wake of the 2024 election and polls showing opposition to transgender athletes in girls’ sports, would help push the bill through — and two Democrats did vote for the legislation in the House.
But all of the Democrats in the upper chamber, even those facing difficult midterm elections, voted against the bill.
Still, House GOP leaders have promised to codify Trump actions.
"The president has over 300 executive actions already, and we are going to codify so much of what he’s doing so that the next team can’t unwind it,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Some of those codifying activities are set to take place in regular full-year funding bills for fiscal 2026, or in other clawback legislation.
A number of hard-line Republicans were not happy that the recent funding measure passed last week to continue government funding until Sept. 30 did not include cuts to programs that have gotten the ax from the Department of Government Efficiency. But leaders have pledged to incorporate some of those major changes in the next year’s funding process.
The major immediate focus of congressional Republicans, meanwhile, is on crafting an ambitious package of Trump priorities into a reconciliation package that would serve as the president’s main legislative priority. The legislation is expected to include an extension of Trump’s tax cuts, as well as energy and border priorities.
Unlike the bills the RSC is pushing, that package will be able to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote cloture threshold, otherwise known as the filibuster, while Republicans are using a special reconciliation process to advance the legislation — so it can advance along party lines.
Despite the challenges of codifying broad swath of Trump’s executive actions, one member at the Republican Study Committee press conference, Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), indicated there could be bipartisan support for some energy-related legislation, such as repealing the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 rule.
But Republicans are also looking for some major wins.
“What we really want to see is speed and aggressiveness and trying to get these into law,” Pfluger said.
The “Set in Stone” project has some support from outside organizations, including Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the conservative think tank, as well as from Advancing American Freedom, the advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.
Topics
-
Trump signs executive order targeting 3rd law firm
President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending security clearances of Mark Pomerantz and those who work at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.ABC News - 23h -
Trump’s battle with Washington law firm Perkins Coie, explained
The battle between President Trump and a prominent Washington law firm has taken a new turn this week, as a judge intervenes to pause Trump’s actions. The controversy kicked off when Trump targeted ...The Hill - 2d -
Trump rolls back over a dozen Biden-era executive orders, actions
President Trump rolled back on Friday over a dozen former executive orders and directives signed by former President Biden focused on gender, labor policies and industry regulations. Trump signed ...The Hill - 1d -
Republicans worry Trump's tariffs could harm economy
Republican lawmakers are growing alarmed over signs that President Trump’s expanding trade war is hurting the economy, something they’re hearing from constituents at home who are struggling to ...The Hill - 6d -
GOP lawmaker booed by crowd at North Carolina town hall
Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards was confronted by angry constituents about Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s cuts across the government at a town hall on Thursday night.ABC News - 2d -
Democrats ‘applying maximum hurt’ for ‘political gain’ in government funding fight: GOP lawmaker
President Trump is urging Republicans to support Speaker Mike Johnson’s short-term government funding bill. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss the upcoming vote.NBC News - 4d -
Poll: Trump faces early challenges on the economy as a united GOP backs big change
Voters are starting 2025 sour on the state of the economy and President Donald Trump’s handling of it so far, even as his election to a second term sparked an upswing in positive feelings about the ...NBC News - 5h -
Americans confront GOP lawmakers over federal job cuts and economy at town halls
Republicans in Congress are facing backlash at town hall events as voters voice concerns over deep federal job cuts and the state of the economy under President Trump and Elon Musk's policies. Some ...CBS News - 2d -
Ohio lawmakers push for NASA headquarters move to Cleveland
A group of Ohio lawmakers in Congress is pushing for NASA headquarters to be moved from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland. The lawmakers argued in a letter Tuesday to Vice President Vance, who is from ...The Hill - 3d
More from The Hill
-
The enduring love between Europe and the US will last long past today’s tensions
The ties between Europe and America run much deeper than the war in Ukraine.The Hill - 1h -
Rubio, Brennan tangle over Trump’s tariff impacts
Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” where he was pressed about the implications of President Trump’s tariff plan. “Isn’t there a risk ...The Hill - 1h -
Live updates: Trump blocked from using Alien Enemies Act; Houthis vow retaliation after US airstrikes
A federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday, preventing the removal of Venezuelan undocumented ...The Hill - 1h -
VA secretary says he will ‘make decisions best for’ employees, veterans when asked about DOGE
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Sunday said he will “make decisions best for” employees of his department and veterans when asked about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ...The Hill - 1h -
What to do about $1.1 trillion in improper Medicaid payments
Eligibility errors and failures to properly assess eligibility prior to enrollment are the biggest sources of improper payments.The Hill - 2h
More in Politics
-
National security adviser Mike Waltz says 'all options' on the table in responding to Iran
National security adviser Mike Waltz said “all options are always on the table” when asked whether direct military action against Iran would be possible.NBC News - 18m -
The enduring love between Europe and the US will last long past today’s tensions
The ties between Europe and America run much deeper than the war in Ukraine.The Hill - 1h -
Rubio, Brennan tangle over Trump’s tariff impacts
Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” where he was pressed about the implications of President Trump’s tariff plan. “Isn’t there a risk ...The Hill - 1h -
Live updates: Trump blocked from using Alien Enemies Act; Houthis vow retaliation after US airstrikes
A federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday, preventing the removal of Venezuelan undocumented ...The Hill - 1h -
VA secretary says he will ‘make decisions best for’ employees, veterans when asked about DOGE
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Sunday said he will “make decisions best for” employees of his department and veterans when asked about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ...The Hill - 1h