House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) withdrew a government funding bill on Wednesday hours before the vote.
The stop-gap funding bill included the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, an election integrity bill.
Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social that if Republicans are unable to obtain “absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO “STUFF” VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!”
If a deal is not reached by the end of September, a government shutdown could occur.
Following the funding bill’s withdrawal, Johnson told reporters he is focused on “building consensus”
“The American people demand and deserve that we do everything possible to secure the elections, that’s what we’ve been saying consistently, that’s what I’ve heard from the people across the country in 198 cities across 39 states. It’s consistent from coast to coast, north to south,” Johnson said. “We’re going to continue to work on this. The whip is going to do the hard work to build consensus. We’re going to work through the weekend on that.”
“And I want any member of Congress, in either party, to explain to the American people why we should not ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections,” he continued. “We’re going to work on that issue around the clock, because we have an obligation to the people to do it, and that’s what the fight is. That’s what’s important. It’s the most pressing issue right now, and we’re going to get this job done.”
Several Republicans have come out against the continuing resolution, including Reps. Cory Mills (FL), Jim Banks (IN), Matt Rosendale of (MT), Tim Burchett (TN), Thomas Massie (KY), Mike Rogers (AL), Greg Steube (FL), and Beth Van Duyne (TX). It is believed that Andy Biggs (AZ) would have also voted against the bill.
