Lawmakers are on their heels to avoid an impending government shutdown on Sept. 30 as they return to Washington. With the shutdown deadline looming, House Republicans are gearing up for a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which could extend for weeks. Both sides are expected to discuss issues like voting requirements and spending.
Some Republicans are feeling uncertain about their party's plans after the rollout of a continuing resolution (CR) plan by the House GOP leadership. This proposal ties a six-month stopgap with legislation supported by former President Donald Trump and conservatives, which aims to impose stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, The Hill reported.
"Today, House Republicans are taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and to secure our federal election process," said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after the bill was unveiled. "Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American citizens can decide American elections," he added.
In recent months, conservatives have been eagerly making calls for a stopgap that would extend beyond December, in the hopes that Trump would return to the White House and avoid an omnibus spending bill by the end of the year.
While the House Republicans are expected to act swiftly on the proposal, not everyone shares the same optimism. Some express caution about the timing, warning against making decisions that could pre-empt the November elections. The Hill quoted an unnamed Republican who raised concerns about entrusting the appropriations process to newly inducted members of Congress.
Aside from having to deal with the aforementioned position, there is also a high probability that the Senate will not approve attaching the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to a CR, the report said. Two Republicans have already expressed their opposition to SAVE, and Johnson could only afford to lose four GOP votes on a partisan bill.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized that it would be best to avoid a government shutdown and called for a continuing resolution to avert the situation, Bloomberg reported.
Writing to his Democratic colleagues Sunday, Schumer said his party is in favor of a short-term funding extension, or CR, and urged Republicans to back a bipartisan effort.
"We will not let poison pills or Republican extremism put funding for critical programs at risk," he noted.
