U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks with reporters as he departs a news conference following a House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 10, in Washington.Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Speaker Mike Johnson pulled a vote Wednesday on a temporary spending bill that would keep federal agencies and programs funded for six months as it became increasingly clear the measure lacked the support to pass as a potential partial government shutdown looms.
The legislation to continue government funding when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1 includes a requirement that people registering to vote must provide proof of citizenship. Johnson, R-La., signalled that he was not backing off linking the two main pillars of the bill.
“No vote today because we’re in the consensus building business here in Congress. With small majorities, that’s what you do,” Johnson told reporters outside the House chamber. “We’re having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference and I believe we’ll get there.”
Congress needs to pass a stopgap spending bill before Oct. 1 to avoid a federal shutdown just weeks before the election. The measure had been teed up for a vote on Wednesday afternoon, but Democrats are overwhelmingly opposed and enough Republicans had voiced opposition to raise serious doubts about whether the measure would pass.
The stopgap bill would generally continue existing funding through March 28. The GOP opponents of the bill argue that it continues spending at levels they consider excessive. And some Republicans simply won’t vote for any continuing resolution, arguing that Congress must return to passing its 12 annual spending bills separately rather than the one or two catchall bills that have become the norm in recent decades.
Despite the dim prospects for the bill, Johnson had said on Tuesday that he would push ahead with the vote. He has embraced concerns that some of the migrants who have entered the country at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years could swing the elections, though it’s illegal for noncitizens to vote and research has shown that such voting is extremely rare.
“Congress has a lot of responsibilities, but two primary obligations – responsibly fund the government and make sure that our elections are free and fair and secure,” Johnson said. “And that’s what we’re working on.”
The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in July. Republicans believe there is value in revisiting the issue and making Democrats in competitive swing districts vote again.
Democrats are calling on Johnson to “stop wasting time” on a bill that will not become law and to work with them on a short-term spending measure that has support from both parties. At the end of the day, they say no spending bill can pass without bipartisan support and buy-in from a Democratic-led Senate and White House.
“Republicans should work with Democrats on a bipartisan package, one that has input from both sides, one that avoids harmful cuts, one that is free of poison pills. We’re ready to sit down and work with them immediately,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said before Johnson had postponed the vote.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday seemingly encouraged a government shutdown if Republicans in the House and Senate “don’t get assurances on Election Security.” He said on the social media platform Truth Social that they should not go forward with a stopgap bill without such assurances.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., disagreed when asked about Trump’s post.
“Shutting down the government is always a bad idea, no matter what time of the year it is,” McConnell said.