WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month is expected to be defeated Wednesday, with a coalition of conservative rebels and defense hawks vowing to tank the package.
Following Donald Trump’s lead, Johnson attached a six-month funding bill to him SAVE Actwould fundamentally change voting laws to require people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. But the expected rejection of the package would send Johnson, R-La., back to the drawing board with less than three weeks to turn on the government lights.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Democrats and some Republicans are pushing a “clean” funding bill that would keep the government open until December after the election.
Unless Republicans and Democrats reach an agreement on extending funding, the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on October 1.
Because of the slim House Republican majority, only four GOPs can leave if all lawmakers vote. Rep Joe Wilson, RSC, hospitalized after collapsing at an event last night. At least seven other Republicans have publicly announced they will vote against the stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, or “CR,” and many others have said they may join them.
Those GOP defectors include Reps. Cory Mills of Florida, Jim Banks of Indiana, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Tim Burchett of Tennessee.
“I have consistently voted against CRs. I think this is terrible legislation,” Burchett said in an interview. “And the number 1 threat to this country is fiscal irresponsibility. We’re going off the financial cliff, and I think every time we do that, we’re just going to go down the road.
Mills, a fiscal conservative and military veteran who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, said he is concerned about the nation’s mounting debt, but also that a CR through March would freeze Pentagon funding at a time when it would have to increase funding. (CRs, by definition, freeze funding at existing levels within the federal government).
“As global threats rapidly evolve, this CR will weaken our defense capabilities and the readiness of our military. It would prevent an effective response to challenger states like China, stifle innovation and delay modernization,” Mills said in a statement before the vote. “Six months is a long time in politics, but it’s an eternity in geopolitics, where quick responses to foreign adversaries that threaten to harm US interests are essential.”
He added that he voted for the SAVE Act earlier this year and continues to support it.
“I say absolutely NO to bankrupting the nation and YES to election integrity,” Mills said.
Trump has insisted that any government funding be tied to the SAVE Act, writing On the social media site Tuesday: “If House and Senate Republicans don’t get absolute assurances about Election Security, THEY MUST MAKE A CONTINUING BUDGET DECISION. … SHUT IT UP!!!”
It is unclear what will happen next. Neither party wants to shut down the government 54 days before the Nov. 5 election, and lawmakers, especially those facing tight races, are anxious to get back on the campaign trail.