WASHINGTON (AP) — The House scheduled a vote Wednesday evening on Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal that links the funding of the federal government for the new budget year with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
Johnson pulled the bill from consideration last week because it lacked the votes to pass. He said then he would work over the weekend to build consensus within the Republican ranks. It's unclear whether he was able to do so as some GOP members have concerns about the spending levels in the bill, but Johnson said he is determined to hold the vote regardless. Meanwhile, Democrats overwhelmingly oppose the measure.
Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it's already illegal to do so and research has shown that such voting is rare. Opponents also say that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have a birth certificate or passport readily available when they get a chance to register at their school, church or other venues when voter registration drives occur.
But Johnson said it is a serious problem because even if a tiny percentage of noncitizens do vote, it could determine the outcome of an extremely close race. He noted that Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa won her seat back in 2020 by six votes.
"It's very, very serious stuff and that's why we're going to do the right thing," Johnson said. "We're going to responsibly fund the government and we're going to stop noncitizens voting in elections."
Johnson told reporters he was not ready to discuss an alternative plan to keep the government funded.
"Let's see what happens with the bill, all right. We're on the field in the middle of the game. The quarterback is calling the play. We're going to run the play," Johnson said.
House Democrats said the proof of citizenship mandate should not be part of the continuing resolution to keep the government funded and urged Johnson to work with them on a bill that can pass both chambers.
"This is not going to become law," said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. "This is Republican theatrics that are meant to appease the most extreme members of their conference, to show them that they are working on something and that they're continuing to support the former president of the United States in his bid to demonize immigrants."
Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund the agencies during the next fiscal year, so they'll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the only way to prevent a government shutdown was for both sides to work together on an agreement. He said the House vote announced by Johnson was doomed to fail.
"The only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he's running into a dead end," Schumer said. "We must have a bipartisan plan instead."
The legislation would fund agencies generally at current levels while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.
Democrats, and some Republicans, are pushing for a short extension. A temporary fix would allow the current Congress to hammer out a final bill after the election and get it to Democratic President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension in the hopes that Republican nominee Donald Trump will win the election and give them more leverage when crafting the full-year bill.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell o Kentucky declined to weigh in on how long to extend funding. He said Schumer and Johnson, ultimately, will have to work out a final agreement that can pass both chambers.
"The one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we would get the blame," McConnell said.
On Sunday, Johnson traveled to Florida to meet with Trump, who had earlier seemingly encouraged a government shutdown if Republicans "don't get assurances on Election Security." Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that they should not go forward with a stopgap bill without such assurances.
The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in July. Some Republicans who view the issue as popular with their constituents have been pushing for another chance to show their support for the measure.