House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is facing pushback from within his own caucus over his plan to attach an election integrity measure to a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, the deadline of which is Sept. 30, The Hill reported.
Two House Republicans told The Hill that they won’t vote for the CR-plus-SAVE Act legislation.
Johnson unveiled the plan in a conference call with House Republicans on Wednesday, calling it the only “practical” option and a plan that has “merit,” The Hill reported. His plan would attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act as a prerequisite to fund the government. The bill ensures that only U.S. citizens vote in elections by requiring proof of citizenship.
While Johnson's plan delights Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the House Freedom Caucus, moderate Republicans — and Senate GOP leadership — view it as a losing proposition that could ultimately hurt Republicans in November’s elections, according to the report. The gambit is that if Democrats vote down the continuing resolution with the SAVE Act attached, Americans will pin the blame on Democrats for the government shutting down, should that occur.
However, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., both told The Hill they will vote against it, with Rosendale calling it a “messaging bill.” Rosendale also wrote Senate Democrats aren't going to change their mind on the SAVE Act just because it's attached to a CR.
“Republicans can sit around and hand-wringing and do their usual claptrap, or they can get on board, unite and then figure out how we’re going to strategize through the next two months,” SAVE Act sponsor Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told The Hill. “But we got to figure out what we’re going to do about government funding, and we got to figure out what we’re going to do about picking a fight that differentiates us from Democrats.”
The House passed the SAVE Act in July by a 221-198 vote, with five vulnerable Democrats voting with Republicans.
However, the bill would be dead on arrival in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said, and outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConell, R-Ky., doesn’t have the appetite for a government shutdown, a move he says could hurt Republicans’ chances to retake the Senate and expand their majority in the House and open the door for Democrats to introduce their own voting rights measure, Axios reported last month.
“Most people don’t like shutdowns; it’s a sign of dysfunctional government and I believe Speaker Johnson feels the same way,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told The Hill. “I trust Speaker Johnson. I think he’s earned my trust on these things. I believe in the end he’ll negotiate with the Senate and the president and the ranking members, and we’ll go from there.”