GOP leaders had to ask him to stick around for a few more hours or they’d fail a vote. “We have to watch every single flight to make sure every single member gets on that flight,” one person in GOP leadership told CNN. ‘Real leverage’With every vote tight, any Republican threatening to defect can now get an audience with GOP leaders — and sometimes Trump. Last July, as House GOP leaders prepared for final passage of Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill, GOP leaders watched flight after flight get canceled. The Colorado Democrat campaigned for remote voting privileges for new parents — but GOP leaders opposed it and ultimately blocked the effort.

Source: CNN March 09, 2026 15:01 UTC