Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to move forward on Tuesday with a controversial stopgap spending bill that could avert a government shutdown that is just around the corner on September 30.
The Republican plan includes an unrelated proposal to requires proof of citizenship to register to votea measure that Democrats say makes her a non-starter for the Senate and the White House.
“Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections.” Johnson tweeted Tuesday.
Johnson canceled plans for a vote on the floor last week, saying he needed more time to wrangle the support of myriad factions in the Republican caucus, which holds only a narrow majority.
It’s unusual for congressional leaders to bring votes to the floor without being confident of winning passage, suggesting Johnson believes he has twisted enough arms to pass the bill.
Democrats are expected to vote in lockstep against the measure, although a few moderates support the ballot measure and could break ranks.
“A bipartisan path forward is the only way to avoid a government shutdown that hurts everyday Americans,” said Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffriesa Democrat from Brooklyn.
If the bill passes, it would be dead on arrival in the Democratic Senate. But the two sides could then move on to more substantive talks to avoid a shutdown.
If it fails, Johnson could open talks with Jeffries for a bipartisan bill that would be passed with Democratic support and establishment GOP support. Both Johnson and his predecessor Rep. Kevin McCarthy have first took this routewhich infuriated right-wing Republican lawmakers.
Congress must pass a spending bill by September 30 or parts of the government will shut down, just five more weeks before election day.
Democrats are pushing for a so-called clean spending bill, meaning one that doesn’t include the ballot measure aimed at furthering the GOP’s anti-immigrant agenda.
They also want a stopgap spending bill that would only extend through December, but it’s unclear whether the longer-term Republican plan is a deal for them.
The spending bill situation is complicated by former President Trump’s demands that Johnson move forward with the voter registration plan, which Trump portrays as essential to his presidential campaign.
But most political observers believe it voters blame the Republicans for any arrests that could result from a collapse of the talks, potentially giving Democrats leverage in the talks.
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