WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives is set to pass a funding bill Wednesday to avert a government shutdown next week, after scrapping a proposal pushed by Donald Trump that would require Americans nationwide to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.
House Republican leaders, facing defections from within their ranks, are counting heavily on Democratic votes to approve the measure. If passed, it will go to the Senate, which hopes to approve it quickly Wednesday night, well before the shutdown deadline of October 1. Both chambers are scheduled to adjourn this week for a long recess until after the November 5 elections.
The plan, negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leaders, would fund the government at current levels through Dec. 20, just before the holidays. It would also provide an additional $231 million to the Secret Service, including for operations related to the presidential campaign, following two apparent attempts to assassinate Trump.
Trump has publicly insisted that congressional Republicans shut down the government unless they can enact the proof-of-citizenship election law, known as the SAVE Act, even though it is already illegal and rare for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
But after the House rejected a bill combining government funding and the SAVE Act last week, Johnson scrapped the Trump-backed election legislation and introduced the new, largely clean spending bill. In defending the move, Johnson and other key Republicans argued that a GOP-led government shutdown just 35 days before Election Day would amount to “political malfeasance.”
Johnson denied “challenging Trump” over election legislation, saying they have been in close contact throughout the funding fight and both believe the SAVE Act is essential to ensuring election integrity.
“I’m not challenging President Trump. I’ve spoken to him a lot and he’s very frustrated with the situation. His concern is election security, and it’s mine. It’s all of our concerns,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday.
He criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for not introducing the SAVE Act as a standalone measure in the Senate. “We passed the SAVE Act this summer, and it’s been sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk gathering dust; it’s infuriating to us,” Johnson said. “President Trump understands the current dilemma that we’re in, and so there’s no difference between us.”
If the bill passes, it would trigger a new battle over the closure of parliament in the post-election parliamentary session, but with the advantage that both parties know the balance of power next year.
“I think the vast majority of Congress doesn’t want a shutdown,” said Republican Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas. “So let’s get to the election and decide what we want to do.”
The short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, requires two-thirds support to pass because it is being introduced in the House under a fast-track process known as a “rules suspension.” That’s necessary because conservatives on the Johnson-aligned Rules Committee have refused to help advance the bill through committee.
“It’s the same as postponing the decision,” lamented Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus who plans to vote no.
Rather than blaming Johnson, former Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., pointed the finger at Senate Democrats, who failed to pass any of the 12 annual government funding bills for the new fiscal year.
“You always blame us for all this, but the Senate hasn’t put up any appropriations bill. None,” Perry said. “You’re supposed to have a dance partner, and our partner refuses to show up.”
Schumer said he was glad the House GOP had learned that “partisan bullying tactics” don’t work on funding measures — even if time was lost.
“As both parties work to avoid a shutdown, we encourage House Republican leaders to move this bill through the House and pass it quickly. Time is of the essence,” he said Tuesday. “Once the House acts, the Senate will move quickly to pass the CR. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the House to prioritize the rapid passage of the CR. If we work together, avoiding poison pills and partisanship, we can avoid a government shutdown.”
