Speaker Presses On With Funding Stopgap Linked To Non-Citizen Voting Crackdown

As part of a bid to dodge a government shutdown next month, the GOP-led House is expected to vote Wednesday on a short-term spending measure combined with reforms meant to help prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced on Tuesday the lower chamber would proceed with a six-month continuing resolution (CR) plus the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, setting up a clash with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the White House — if the House can manage to pass the proposal in the first place.

“Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections,” he said in a statement posted to X. “Because we owe this to our constituents, we will move forward on Wednesday with a vote on the 6-month CR with the SAVE Act attached.”

Johnson added, “I urge all of my colleagues to do what the overwhelming majority of the people of this county rightfully demand and deserve — prevent non-American citizens from voting in American elections.”

The SAVE Act, which passed the House in July with some bipartisan support but never got taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate, aims to require that individuals show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in elections for federal office and pushes states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

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Critics of the legislation, including the White House, have argued it is unnecessary and would create an undue burden on legitimate voters, but a report from Johnson warned of a National Voter Registration Act “loophole” in which states do not ask for proof of citizenship when registering an individual to vote in federal elections and cited evidence of non-citizens appearing on voter rolls in places such as Massachusetts, Ohio, and Virginia.

Johnson nixed a vote last week on the combined CR through March 28 and the SAVE Act, saying he was committed to “consensus building” through the weekend as it appeared leadership may not have enough support to pass it. While it is not clear if any Democrats will vote in favor of the proposal, some Republicans have voiced opposition to the idea.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) bemoaned how Congress has been unable to pass a full slate of appropriations bills for fiscal 2025 and said he would not support a “bill that continues our path of destructive spending.” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) vouched for the plan, posting, “Want to avoid a lame-duck omnibus? Pass a six-month CR with the SAVE Act attached.”

While Schumer rejected Johnson’s gambit, declaring that the Senate would not put up with “Republican extremism,” President Joe Biden threatened to veto the House GOP’s proposal. Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to allow a shutdown if they cannot secure a short-term spending measure in addition to “election security” reforms.

There could be room for bipartisan negotiating on certain aspects of the stopgap funding legislation as Republicans and Democrats have indicated they might push to include extra money for the Secret Service to meet security demands following a second assassination attempt on Trump this election cycle took place over the weekend in Florida.