House Republican unveil bill to avoid shutdown. Senate Democrats say they’re wasting precious time
WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Friday introduced their legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month and fund the government through the end of March, when a new president and Congress would make the final decision on expenditure and priorities of the agency for the 2025 budget year.
Republicans are also adding a hot-button immigration issue to the measure by requiring states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when someone registers to vote. Including the citizenship requirement is a non-starter in the Senate, complicating the budget bill’s prospects for passage.
Lawmakers return to Washington next week after a traditional August recess, spent largely in their home states and districts. They are nowhere near finishing work on the 12 annual budget bills that will fund agencies in the next fiscal year, so they will need to pass a stopgap measure to avoid a shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.
“Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives are taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and our federal election process secure,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement. “Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American people can decide American elections.”
But in a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray said a shutdown can only be avoided if both parties work together, not a bill authored by one party.
“If Speaker Johnson pushes House Republicans down this highly partisan path, the likelihood of a shutdown increases significantly and Americans will know that the responsibility for a shutdown lies with House Republicans,” Schumer and Murray said.
Johnson’s decision to add proof of citizenship to the spending measure comes after the House Freedom Caucus called for it in a position statement last month. The group of conservatives, who are counting on a victory by Republican candidate Donald Trumpalso insisted that the measure would fund the government through early next year so Republicans could incorporate more of their priorities into legislation.
Some Republican leaders wanted to pass the final budget legislation before the end of this Congress so that the new president, whether Trump or Democratic candidate Kamala Harriscould focus more on recruiting staff and pursuing their own top priorities rather than resolving spending disagreements.
Republicans say requiring proof of citizenship would ensure that U.S. elections are for American citizens only, increasing confidence in the country’s federal election system. But opponents say the available evidence shows that non-citizen voting in federal elections is incredibly rare and that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who lack the necessary documentation when given the opportunity to register.
It remains to be seen what will happen if the bill passes the House of Representatives this week and the Senate fails to take it up or rejects it.
The bill would fund the agencies at current levels through March 28, but also includes money to cover additional security costs associated with Inauguration Day and $10 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund.