House to consider Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposed funding plan as government shutdown nears

Speaker Mike Johnson plans to hold a vote on a six-month stopgap funding bill in the House linked to legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The bill was pulled off the floor last week due to growing GOP opposition, but Johnson has been working to flip GOP defections in order to pass the package. However, it is unlikely to pass given the narrow Republican majority in the House. The federal government is set to shut down on October 1 if a funding bill is not agreed upon. The package proposed by Johnson, which includes the Donald Trump-backed SAVE Act, is expected to face resistance in the Senate and a veto threat from President Joe Biden.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Johnson’s strategy, calling for a bipartisan agreement to prevent a government shutdown. Despite Trump’s support for a shutdown over the SAVE Act, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned against it, saying it would be politically harmful for Republicans right before the election. Democrats and some Republicans are pushing for a shorter-term bill that extends past the election to allow for more time to negotiate fiscal year 2025 funding. Johnson is vowing to work to get the bill passed, but the outcome remains uncertain.

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