A group of Republican lawmakers is urging House leadership to act swiftly in converting President Donald Trump’s executive orders into binding law, a move intended to protect the core of Trump’s policy agenda from reversal in future administrations. The initiative signals a decisive shift toward securing legislative permanence for Trump-era reforms that have until now relied on the vulnerability of executive action.
Seventeen Republican members of Congress, led by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), calling for urgent legislative action to codify Trump’s directives. The letter praised Trump’s rapid use of executive power to implement measures aimed at reducing government bloat, restoring fiscal sanity, and reversing progressive social policies. But it warned that such victories are not safe unless reinforced through congressional legislation.
“Unless Congress acts, many of these victories are at risk. A future Democrat president could erase them with the stroke of a pen,” the letter warned. “We must codify the President’s actions into law.” The lawmakers argued that the American people voted for lasting change, not temporary fixes susceptible to political whiplash.
This legislative push coincides with Republican efforts to advance what they are calling Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” a sweeping reconciliation package that includes border security measures, tax reform, and defense funding. Johnson, speaking in a Newsmax interview, emphasized the urgency of delivering tangible results, citing specific promises like eliminating taxes on overtime pay and maintaining Social Security tax exemptions.
Johnson described the bill as “jet fuel for the economy,” explaining that the package was designed to spur economic growth without increasing the federal deficit. “We’re going to revive the American economy,” he said, “and we’re going to do it in a way that’s fiscally responsible.”
The broader aim, Republicans say, is not just to enact new policy but to build legal safeguards around Trump’s agenda—ensuring that a future White House can’t simply reverse direction without congressional involvement. The approach mirrors efforts from Trump’s first term, where key reforms—such as regulatory rollbacks and immigration enforcement measures—were frequently challenged or dismantled after Democrats regained executive control.
In an unexpected twist, even some Democrats appear to agree on the need for codification—at least in limited areas. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced he would introduce a bill to codify Trump’s executive order on lowering drug prices, citing legal challenges from pharmaceutical companies as a reason legislation is necessary. “The only way we can stand up to Big Pharma is to codify in legislation what the president wants to do in an executive order,” Khanna told colleagues on the House floor.
This bipartisan convergence, while narrow, highlights a growing recognition on both sides of the aisle that executive orders are not enough to withstand legal and political pushback. However, the Republicans’ broader push reflects a deeper ideological commitment to solidifying policy gains in the areas of economic freedom, border enforcement, and limiting federal overreach. If successful, it could mark a defining moment in the effort to make Trump’s legacy more than just a chapter—it would become law.
