WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed Tuesday to continue requiring proof of citizenship for new voters as part of a bill to avert a partial government shutdown in three weeks. But the measure appeared likely to be defeated.
Democrats overwhelmingly oppose the measure. Enough Republicans also opposed the bill, albeit for different reasons, that the chances of it passing the House looked dim. Even if it passes the House on Wednesday, the bill would not get anywhere in the Senate.
Johnson said the issue of election security is too important to ignore, even though research has shown that non-citizen voting extremely rare. It is also clear that Republicans see value in giving the Democrats in the House of Representatives another vote on the issue. The House of Representatives has passed a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in july
“If you put a few thousand illegals in the wrong place to vote, you can change the composition of Congress and you can change the presidential election,” Johnson said. “The American people understand that.”
The first test for the stopgap spending measure came Tuesday with a 209-206 vote to advance the bill. But some Republicans who said they would oppose the bill if it were finally approved allowed it to proceed.
The measure includes a six-month extension of federal funding so agencies and programs can remain operational through March 28.
But Democrats want a shorter-term extension that would allow the current Congress to set all of the spending levels for fiscal year 2025, rather than the next president and Congress. They also want to strip the proof-of-citizenship mandate from the law, saying it is unnecessary because states already have effective safeguards in place to verify voter eligibility and maintain accurate voter rolls.
“Is it any surprise that the speaker’s purely partisan CR seems to be in trouble?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, using Washington terminology for the short-term fix needed to avert a shutdown. “The answer is very simple. The House needs to stop wasting time on a CR proposal that can’t become law.”
Schumer called on Johnson to consult with Democratic leaders and the White House on a bipartisan package that can be passed by both chambers.
A few Republicans in the House of Representatives have also spoken out against the bill. Some will not vote for a continuing resolution. They want Congress to reauthorize the 12 annual budget bills individually. Others say the continuing resolution funds programs at levels they find inappropriate at a time of nearly $2 trillion in annual deficits.
“I am a resounding no to bankrupting the nation and a resounding yes to election integrity,” Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., said in announcing his opposition.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, said Republican leaders asked him to vote for what he called “a Nancy Pelosi-Schumer budget.”
“I just think it’s a bad idea,” Burchett said.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said on X that the continuing resolution was “an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”
“The CR is not cutting spending and the shiny object attached to it will be dropped like a hot potato before it is approved,” Massie said.
Republicans can afford to lose just four votes from their base if all Democrats vote against the bill.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to encourage a government shutdown if Republicans in the House and Senate “cannot get assurances about the security of the election.” He said on the social media platform Truth Social that they should not proceed with a continuing resolution without such assurances.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell disagreed when asked about Trump’s message.
“It’s always a bad idea to shut down the government, no matter what time of year it is,” McConnell said.
Republicans in the House of Representatives met behind closed doors Tuesday morning to discuss the way forward. Rep. Jim Jordan, co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told colleagues “this is the best fight we’ve ever had,” said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
By holding a new vote on the proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration, House Republicans are ensuring that Democrats in competitive swing districts will vote on the issue one more time before the election. Last time, five Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the requirement. And their votes will be scrutinized this time around.
Lawmakers said no Plan B had been discussed for government funding and that Johnson was determined to hold a vote regardless of the likely outcome.
“This is important to him,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “This is the hill to die on.”
As lawmakers debated the short-term spending measure on the House floor, the focus was almost entirely on the proof of citizenship mandate, also known as the SAVE Act. Republicans linked a surge in migrants during the Biden administration to the prospect of some being able to vote in future elections.
“What are you afraid of in requiring someone to prove who they say they are?” said Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y.
Democrats argued that requiring proof of citizenship would disenfranchise many Americans who do not have the required documents on hand when they register to vote.
“Let me be clear, the SAVE Act is not about cracking down on illegal immigrants, it is about suppressing the voices of millions of American citizens,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.