House Rejects Temporary Funding Bill as Government Shutdown Deadline Approaches
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A continuing resolution championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) failed 202 to 220 on Wednesday night, with 14 Republicans voting against it. The House and Senate must pass a bill by October 1st to avoid a government shutdown.
The Details: Johnson's rejected proposal, which would have funded the government for six months, included a rider called the SAVE Act that would require voters to prove their citizenship; Senate Democrats have made clear they would block any bill that includes it. Some GOP members refused to fund the government with a continuing resolution, while others disagreed with the SAVE Act. On Thursday evening, The Hill (Center bias) reported Johnson was preparing a new three-month continuing resolution without the SAVE Act.
Key Quotes:
- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump posted, "If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form."
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded, "How does anyone expect Donald Trump to be a president when he has such little understanding of the legislative process? He's daring the Congress to shut down."
For Context: A government shutdown could still be ongoing on Election Day if no resolution is reached, affecting services for voters.
How The Media Covered It: CNN (Lean Left) featured Schumer taking steps to prepare the Senate for a swift vote after the House passes a resolution, while Daily Kos (Left) highlighted the intra-party discord in the GOP. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) criticized Trump's statement, pointing out that the SAVE Act would not actually affect the 2024 election if passed.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Even Mitch McConnell thinks House GOP's march to a shutdown is ‘stupid’
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that it would be “politically beyond stupid” for Republicans in the House to send the nation careening toward a government shutdown just one month before a national election. One day later, House Republicans seemed to treat this as a dare. They went beyond—by a big margin.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson finally got a continuing resolution to the floor on Wednesday evening to keep the government funded beyond the end of the month. The vote wasn’t even close. Johnson could only afford to lose...
From the Center
Republicans shift to plan B to prevent shutdown
House Republicans have shifted gears as they race to avoid a government shutdown, eyeing a three-month stopgap spending bill — in lieu of a six-month extension — while dropping their demand for tougher voting rules as part of the package.
Top appropriators have already launched bipartisan talks in both chambers, and senior lawmakers said they expect the continuing resolution (CR) will extend 2024 funding into December while excluding the more stringent voter-eligibility rules demanded by former President Trump.
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