House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed on Sunday a new short-term spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown, marking a significant shift in strategy for House Republicans.
The stop-gap measure, set to fund the government through December 20, notably excludes the SAVE Act, a controversial immigration proposal backed by former President Donald Trump.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has publicly urged Republicans to allow a government shutdown if they are unable to include the SAVE Act in the government funding bill. This stance put pressure on GOP lawmakers to take a hard line in negotiations.
Johnson, in a letter Sunday to his Republican colleagues, emphasized the pragmatic nature of the decision. “While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances,” he wrote, highlighting the political risks associated with a government shutdown so close to a critical election.
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media after the vote on the government funding bill at the U.S. Capitol on September 18, 2024, in Washington, DC.
AFP/Getty Images
The Speaker added that the clean, three-month Continuing Resolution (CR) is intended “to prevent the Senate from jamming us with a bill loaded with billions in new spending and unrelated provisions,” and that the legislation is “a very narrow, bare-bones CR including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary.”
This new CR represents a compromise between House and Senate negotiators, scaling back from Johnson’s initial proposal of a six-month funding extension. Crucially, it omits the Trump-backed measure requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, which had been a major point of contention in previous discussions.
The SAVE Act, which passed the House as a standalone bill in July, is a Republican-led initiative that would mandate documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal election voter registration. This requirement comes despite existing laws that already prohibit noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
The controversy surrounding this measure was highlighted last Wednesday when the House failed to pass a six-month Republican government funding plan that incorporated the SAVE Act. This setback forced GOP leadership to reconsider their strategy in avoiding a government shutdown.
The Speaker cited polling data to support his position, noting that a McLaughlin & Associates survey found two-thirds of likely voters oppose a government shutdown.
This change in approach comes after a setback last week when 14 Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting Johnson’s original plan.
The new bill is expected to reach the House floor by mid-week, giving lawmakers a narrow window to pass the legislation before it moves to the Senate for consideration.
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.
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