September 25, 2024
On Wednesday, September 24, the House seemed to be poised to pass a funding bill to avert a government shutdown next week after it removed a proposal demanded by Donald Trump that would require Americans nationwide to show proof of citizenship to register to vote, reports NBC News.
House Republican leaders, facing defections within their ranks, indicated that they planned to rely heavily on Democratic votes to approve the measure. If it passes, it would go to the Senate, which hopes to quickly approve it on Wednesday night, well before the October 1 shutdown deadline. Both chambers are set to adjourn this week for a lengthy recess until after the November 5 election.
The package, negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), and top Democrats, would fund the government at current levels through December 20, right before the holidays. It would also provide $231 million in additional money for the Secret Service, including for operations related to the presidential campaign, in the wake of 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 legislation, known as the SAVE Act, even though it’s already illegal and rare for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
But, after the House rejected a package that combined government funding and the SAVE Act last week, Johnson stripped out the Trump-backed election legislation and brought the new, mostly clean spending bill to the floor. Defending the move, Johnson and other key Republicans have argued that a GOP-led shutdown just 35 days before Election Day would amount to “political malpractice.”
Johnson has denied that he’s “defying Trump” over the voting legislation—arguing that they have been in close contact throughout the funding fight and that they both believe the SAVE Act is critical to ensuring election integrity.
“I’m not defying President Trump. I’ve spoken with him at great length, and he is very frustrated about the situation. His concern is election security, and it is mine, as well. It is all of ours,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday.
“I think the vast, vast majority of Congress does not want a shutdown,” said Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas). “So, let’s get through the election and decide what we want to do.”
Research contact: @NBCNews