By Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday is due to vote on a six-month stopgap funding bill proposed by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson that faces stiff Democratic opposition, less than three weeks before a government shutdown deadline.
House Republicans have attached a controversial provision requiring people to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote, a measure meant to force Democrats to take stances on the politically charged issue of non-citizen voting, which already is illegal in federal elections.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim his 2020 loss was the result of fraud, has urged Republicans to pass the voting measure ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
The federal government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, when funding for many agencies expires. Without some sort of extension, federal programs not deemed essential would have to suspend many of their operations, forcing thousands of government workers to go on leave.
Congress will be motivated to approve a stopgap funding bill by the end of this month for two primary reasons: Members of the House and Senate want to get back to their home states and districts to campaign for reelection. And, a government shutdown, especially just before an election, is likely to trigger voter backlash over whichever party is blamed for any failure to legislate in time.
Success for the funding bill is not guaranteed in the chamber that Republicans control by a narrow 220-211 margin. Several House Republicans have said they would vote against the measure, citing spending concerns, and many members of the caucus generally oppose stopgap spending measures.
Johnson told reporters he meant to press ahead, saying, “We do the right thing and let the chips fall as they may.”
Two Republicans joined Democrats on Tuesday in voting against a procedural move to advance the bill.
If the funding package passes the House, it faces opposition from Democrats who hold a Senate majority. They broadly see the citizenship registration requirement as meant to undermine confidence in administering elections.
“We’re watching a movie we’ve seen over and over again,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “House Republicans are trying to pass a bill so partisan that it even splits their own caucus. This proposal isn’t even serious.”
The White House on Monday said President Joe Biden would veto this funding package, citing the “unrelated cynical” voting requirement. The administration also wants a temporary funding period shorter than six months, as well as more money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fix infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.
Lawmakers face an even more critical self-imposed deadline on Jan. 1, before which they must act to raise or extend the nation’s debt ceiling or risk defaulting on more than $35 trillion in federal government debt.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)
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