House Republicans are charging full steam ahead with legislation to avert a government shutdown even though it appears destined for failure amid mounting GOP opposition.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — who is under heavy pressure to avoid a shutdown in the lead-up to Election Day — has shown no intention of changing his proposal despite complaints from conservatives, defense hawks and moderates in his caucus.
While Speakers of the House typically avoid bringing legislation to the floor that is doomed to fail, Johnson appears to see the vote as necessary to placate hard-liners in his party who want to secure conservative wins in the near term, and are seeking to replace him as GOP leader next year.
Johnson’s effort was complicated Tuesday by former President Trump who, hours before his debate against Vice President Harris, urged Republicans to vote against any short-term funding bill that does not secure “absolute assurances on Election Security,” a request that is certain to muddy the waters when the Speaker enters government funding negotiations with Senate Democrats down the road.
Johnson’s spending plan pairs a six-month continuing resolution (CR) with a Trump-backed bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote, titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
While that proposal was pushed by some hard-line conservatives — including the Freedom Caucus — it is facing significant headwinds in the House GOP conference, and is all but certain to languish in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has railed against the inclusion of “poison pills.”
Posted by John3262005