Johnson, the Speaker, arranges a vote on the doomed financial blueprint as the impending shutdown deadline approaches.
The House is set to vote on a six-month funding extension on Wednesday, which includes a contentious provision addressing non-citizen voting. The vote was called for after enough House Republicans expressed opposition to the spending plan, causing it to fail last week. Pressure is mounting on Johnson from conservatives and Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, to tackle election security matters, as Trump persists in raising questions about election honesty before the November polls.
Two Republican sources told CNN that the move to bring the bill to the floor this week is aimed at demonstrating its likelihood of failure. This paves the way for Johnson to proceed with a backup plan, although its details remain unclear. The current government funding expires at the end of the month.
The Republican funding plan is considered untenable by Senate Democrats, while a "clean" funding extension devoid of the voting measure is widely regarded as the only viable option to prevent a shutdown, according to insiders on Capitol Hill.
Johnson is confronted with a substantial challenge in guiding the government funding debate, as he manages an ultra-slim majority and has minimal room for error.
The six-month funding plan proposed by House Republicans extends government funding until March 2025. This proposal incorporates the SAVE Act, a bill that garnered Republican support in the House during a standalone vote in July. The SAVE Act mandates the submission of proof of U.S. citizenship for registration in federal elections, although non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections.
Trump has stated that if the Republicans don't secure "unequivocal guarantees" on election security, they should forego the funding extension.
"Congress has an urgent responsibility to accomplish two tasks: sustainably fund the federal government and safeguard the integrity of our elections," Johnson declared on Tuesday, announcing the forthcoming vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer commented on Tuesday, referring to the speaker's plan to hold a vote on the Republican funding proposal, "all it will achieve is to highlight that he's heading towards a stalemate. We require a bipartisan strategy instead."
This report was contributed to by CNN’s Manu Raju.
The debate over the six-month funding extension in politics has become contentious due to a provision addressing non-citizen voting. The Republican funding plan, which incorporates the SAVE Act, is unlikely to pass in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.
