By Catie Edmondson
Speaker Mike Johnson’s first strategy to prevent a government shutdown has encountered substantial Republican pushback as lawmakers from various factions within his party resist a six-month interim funding plan that Democrats have already dismissed.
Johnson has indicated his intention to introduce a spending bill this week that would prolong federal funding until March 28, incorporating a measure mandating proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. This addition aimed to appease the right wing of his conference and compel politically vulnerable Democrats to make a challenging vote.
However, his $1.6 trillion proposal was swiftly met with widespread skepticism from House Republicans upon their return to Washington after an extended summer break. The political divides in the showdown intensified on Tuesday when former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, urged party members to shut down the government unless they received “absolute assurances on Election Security.”
Nonetheless, Republicans revolted against Johnson’s approach. Hardline conservatives, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voiced their opposition to the legislation, asserting that it would maintain spending levels they consider excessive.
Simultaneously, Republican defense advocates, such as Rep. Mike D. Rogers of Alabama, the chair of the Armed Services Committee, expressed their disapproval, arguing that extending current spending levels for such a lengthy duration would effectively cut military funding, which is anticipated to increase in the coming months.
The House cleared one procedural barrier on Tuesday and consented to proceed with the legislation, but its future remained uncertain. Shortly thereafter, Trump exacerbated the situation, urging Republicans to “close it down” if Democrats rejected the voting measure.
“If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET,” Trump stated on social media.
These internal divisions represent yet another challenge for Johnson in a seemingly endless series of disputes over government funding that have plagued him since Republicans gained control of the House. Each incident has ended in the same outcome: the enactment of a bipartisan spending bill that has frustrated the right wing of the House Republican conference.
Johnson attempted to rally Republican support around the plan during a closed-door session in the basement of the Capitol on Tuesday morning.
“I believe we can fund the government responsibly, and I believe that we can do right by the American people and ensure the security of our elections,” Johnson remarked to reporters afterward, referring to the clash over the voting measure as “a fight worth having.”
It is illegal for a noncitizen to vote in a federal election, and there is little evidence that it occurs, but Republicans have been advocating the proof of citizenship bill as a vital step, cautioning that illegal votes by migrants could influence the election. Democrats have denounced the legislation as xenophobic and cautioned that its implementation could complicate registration for eligible voters.
Many Republicans left the Tuesday meeting unconvinced about the spending proposal itself, signaling potential difficulties ahead.
Even if Johnson were able to unite his conference around the temporary spending bill, the proposal would likely be rejected outright in the Democratic-controlled Senate. White House officials stated on Monday that President Joe Biden would veto the legislation. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, labeled the proposal as “unserious.”
“We’ve seen this play out time and again,” Schumer commented on the Senate floor Tuesday, using the shorthand for a continuing resolution to fund the government as he described the situation. “Is it any surprise that the speaker’s purely partisan CR seems to be hitting obstacles? The response is quite simple: The House should cease wasting time on a CR proposal that cannot succeed.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, withheld his support for the House approach, stating that Senate Republicans needed to evaluate what the House can pass. However, he cautioned against any initiative to shut down the government.
“Shutting down the government is always a poor choice, regardless of the timing,” McConnell remarked when questioned by reporters regarding Trump’s stance.
Democrats and many Republicans favor a shorter-term spending bill lasting until early December, allowing for reconciliation of budget discrepancies but leaving budgetary decisions for 2025 and beyond to Biden and the current Congress rather than the subsequent president and Congress.
Johnson has consistently opted to support a bipartisan spending bill, facing backlash from House ultraconservatives, rather than letting the government shut down. This inclination is likely to prevail again, especially with the upcoming election looming. House Republicans in tight races that may determine the party control of the chamber have warned of possible voter backlash if the government shuts down.
“Navigating government affairs lightly on the brink of a national election is not likely to bode well for our presidential nominee,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chair of the Appropriations Committee, stated Tuesday. “It’s not going to favor our chances of keeping the government operational while we conduct the most important elections in national history.”
Even some hardline Republicans acknowledged the reality that many of their peers were eager to leave Washington and return to campaign efforts.
“My advice to our colleagues is: Vote on it and head home,” suggested Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
However, the political landscape facing Johnson is also more contentious than ever. Polls suggest that the battle for control of the House is expected to be extremely close, potentially paving a path for Johnson to regain power in January — if he can secure the backing of his unruly conference.
