Russell Vought, President Trump's budget director, met privately with House Republicans in an effort to head off a conservative backlash against Speaker Mike Johnson's latest attempt to pass the SAVE America Act. The closed-door session on Tuesday reflects concern within the administration that GOP holdouts could derail the legislation, which combines a contentious voter-eligibility measure with a large spending package tied to Trump's foreign policy priorities.

Vought urged lawmakers to begin advancing a $95 billion budget bill that would fund the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act alongside money for the US military campaign against Iran and other aid commitments. The meeting underscores the administration's direct lobbying push to keep the package on track amid resistance from within Republican ranks.