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Jimmy Williams
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) proposal to pair a six-month stopgap spending bill with Trump-backed voting restrictions is encountering significant resistance from within his own party. On Tuesday, the House narrowly approved a rule to move forward with debating the bill on Wednesday, but GOP defections and Democratic opposition have made its passage uncertain.
The rule vote passed with a slim 209-206 margin, with two Republicans—Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)—joining all Democrats in opposition. Johnson’s proposal, which includes the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship to vote, faces growing GOP backlash, as anti-spending conservatives and defense-focused Republicans criticize the plan.
Johnson, however, is determined to press forward. “I told the conference this morning and I’ll say it here again: I am resolved on this, and I don’t know what more I can say to show that conviction,” Johnson told reporters after a Tuesday morning meeting with his caucus.
The opposition stems from multiple concerns. Some Republicans, like Rosendale, are against any form of continuing resolution (CR). “I haven’t supported a CR since I arrived here, and I don’t intend on starting now,” he stated. Others, including Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), argue that the bill doesn’t go far enough on border security and spending cuts. “The worst thing Republicans can do is create a fake fight… I’m not gonna have any part of it,” Greene said.
Despite this resistance, Johnson plans to bring the bill to the House floor on Wednesday. Without Democratic support, he can only afford to lose four Republican votes, but several GOP members are already leaning toward rejection, leaving Johnson in a difficult position.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) acknowledged that no changes to the bill are currently in the works to secure more votes, saying, “There are some people who have never voted for any kind of CR at all… so you’ve just got to let it fall.”
The uncertainty leaves Republicans scrambling for a backup plan if the bill is defeated or pulled. Johnson and some within the party are pushing for a six-month CR to give Republicans a stronger hand in the next Congress. However, this idea has alienated defense-focused members, like Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who oppose flat Pentagon funding for six months.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the House bill as “unserious” and said it would never become law. “The House should stop wasting time on a CR proposal that cannot become law,” Schumer stated on the Senate floor.
Senate Republicans and Democrats are working on a shorter CR lasting until December 13, which has garnered more bipartisan support. The Senate’s version would likely address additional priorities such as immigration, disaster relief, and veterans’ health care—items Schumer criticized the House bill for omitting.
As the September 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown approaches, the path forward for the House remains unclear. If Johnson’s bill fails, Republicans will need to quickly devise a new plan to avoid a politically damaging shutdown.
