WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to move forward with a stopgap spending bill to prevent a partial government shutdown in the new budget year that begins Oct. 1, despite looming headwinds. Withdraw bill From last week’s review.
The bill includes a requirement that people who register to vote provide proof of citizenship, a move that has become a major election-year priority for Republicans and stoked fears that non-citizens will vote in the U.S., even though it is already illegal to do so and studies have shown that such voting is illegal. rare.
“I call on all of my colleagues to do what the vast majority of people in this country rightly demand and deserve: stop non-Americans from voting in U.S. elections,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Johnson told reporters he was not prepared to discuss alternative plans to fund the government beyond those being debated in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
“I’m not in discussions about alternative plans. This is theater. This is important stuff. And I’m going to work around the clock to get it done,” Johnson said.
The bill has struggled in the House and is unlikely to pass the Senate, where most Democrats and some Republicans oppose it, but for different reasons.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the only way to prevent a government shutdown was for both parties to work together on a deal. He said the House vote announced by Johnson was doomed to fail.
“The only thing that’s going to accomplish is making it clear that he’s in a gridlock,” Schumer said. “We’ve got to come up with a bipartisan plan instead.”
The bill would fund agencies at their current levels until lawmakers resolve their differences on a full-year spending agreement.
Democrats and some Republicans have argued for a short delay: A temporary solution would allow the current Congress to put together a final bill after the election and deliver it to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his party are arguing for a six-month extension in the hopes that Republican candidate Donald Trump will win the election and have more influence in crafting a full-year bill.
Schumer said the six-month measure would be a disservice to the Defense Department and other government agencies that need more certainty about funding levels.
“You can’t run a military on six-month stopgap measures,” Schumer said.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declined to say how long the extension would be, saying ultimately Schumer and Johnson would have to reach a final agreement that could be passed by both chambers.
“The one thing we absolutely cannot do is shut down the government. It would be politically foolish to do that right before an election because it would undoubtedly be met with criticism,” McConnell said.
Prime Minister Johnson said last week that he had not given up on the proposal and would continue to work through the weekend to garner support. He said ensuring only Americans can vote in federal elections was “the most pressing issue right now, and we are going to get the job done.”
On Sunday, he traveled to Florida to meet with President Trump, who appeared to encourage a government shutdown if Republicans “don’t get assurances about the security of our elections.” Trump said on social media platform Truth Social that the stopgap bill should not move forward without such assurances.
The House of Representatives approved a bill that included a citizenship requirement. In JulySome Republicans believe the issue is popular with their constituents and are seeking another opportunity to voice their support for the bill, but others are expected to vote against it because they believe the bill is excessive in spending.
