2. House Republicans are considering a plan to avoid a government shutdown by extending funding levels for six months. However, the plan is linked to a bill that would add a proof of citizenship requirement to voter registration, facing opposition from Senate Democrats and the White House.
3. Article:
House Republicans are pushing for a plan to avoid a government shutdown that's tied to a Trump-backed elections bill.
1. : House Republicans Push to Avoid Government Shutdown Tied to Trump-Backed Election Bill
The plan, unveiled by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday, involves a six-month extension of fiscal 2024's federal funding levels known as a "continuing resolution" (CR) – to buy House and Senate negotiators more time to hash out next year's spending priorities.
However, the plan is linked to a bill adding a proof of citizenship requirement to the voter registration process. The move is unlikely to succeed, as both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House have publicly opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
1. : House Republicans Push to Avoid Government Shutdown Tied to Trump-Backed Election Bill
If it does pass, the plan would be linked to a bill adding a proof of citizenship requirement to the voter registration process. However, this move is unlikely to succeed, as both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House have publicly opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
If the Senate and House don't agree on a way forward by Oct. 1, the country could be wracked by a partial government shutdown roughly a month before Election Day.
1. : House Republicans Push to Avoid Government Shutdown Tied to Trump-Backed Election Bill
House Republican leaders are pushing for the plan, arguing that it's necessary to avoid a shutdown and that the SAVE Act is a common-sense measure to protect the integrity of elections.
However, some House Republicans are privately worried about how a partial government shutdown would affect their electoral chances in November.
1. : House Republicans Push to Avoid Government Shutdown Tied to Trump-Backed Election Bill
One lawmaker told Fox News Digital, "If we shut down, we lose."
Some House Republicans are also concerned about the political fallout of a shutdown, given that it could be seen as a Republican-led effort to undermine the election.
Veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye said a possible shutdown could have less of an impact given it's a presidential election year, but he conceded "that's a real risk to take."
"Republicans usually get blamed for shutdowns, and that could play into Harris' ‘Trump-as-chaos’ argument," Heye said.
However, other Republicans dismissed fears of political blowback in the event of a government shutdown.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who is not committed or opposed to Johnson's plan, told Fox News Digital this week, "The legacy media makes these shutdowns worse than they are. … Nobody loses their house, nobody loses a dime. They all get made whole."
A partial government shutdown would see some non-emergency federal services halted and potentially thousands of government employees furloughed.
Any federal payments paused during a shutdown are retroactively made to their recipients, however.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the architects of the SAVE Act, would not say whether he'd want a shutdown if the Johnson plan failed to pass.
"I’m not going to play the shutdown game … the press wants to make it about a shutdown. Democrats want to make this about a shutdown," Roy said. "We’re offering to fund the government – all manners of sin, by the way, in that government…we’re willing to do that, but these guys need to make sure our elections are secure."
"If [Democrats] want to shut the government down, that’s on them."
