House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, announced the plan to avert a partial government shutdown scheduled for later this month during a lawmaker-only conference call Wednesday morning.
Johnson aims to hold a vote on the bill as soon as possible, possibly as soon as next week, two sources familiar with the call told Fox News Digital.
House Republican leaders want to tie a short-term extension of this year's federal budget, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to a Republican-backed bill called the Protecting American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process to address Republican concerns about foreign participation in U.S. elections.
The bill would postpone the fight over federal funding until March, when a new administration and new Congressional term will determine how the next government shutdown showdown unfolds.
Harris was “positive” about adding seats to the Supreme Court during the 2019 presidential election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (left) is scheduled to vote on a stopgap spending bill accompanying the measure backed by former President Donald Trump and opposed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (right). (Getty Images)
Although five Democrats voted in favor of the SAVE Act when it passed the House of Representatives in July, their leaders largely oppose the bill, slamming it as unnecessary because it is already illegal for foreign nationals to vote in federal elections.
Meanwhile, leading Republican lawmakers had called for a short-term funding extension through December rather than risk a legislative logjam in the new year.
But a source familiar with the call said Johnson argued on the call that his plan had “a lot of merit” and that a December CR would likely mean another CR would be needed in the new year anyway.
Other Republican lawmakers also raised concerns during the 30-minute call, according to multiple sources.
New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis confirmed to Fox News Digital that she has proposed pairing the border control bill with some measure to force Democrats to act on the border crisis that is rocking her New York City district.
In particular, she proposed pairing CR with the Laken-Riley Act, named after a college student who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant, which would detain and deport immigrants who commit illegal acts.
Harris campaign official ignores press conference question; VP has not held a press conference in 33 days
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said she expressed concern about the lack of border measures. (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)
“We should offer a menu of options, but Democrats should do something to stop the confusion,” she said. New York Post report This suggests that illegal immigration is straining New York City's justice system.
Asked if she would support Johnson's proposed plan without these measures, she replied: “Let's wait and see.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told Fox News Digital he opposes the plan because it falls short of the mandatory 1% cuts in government spending that would be triggered if the CR takes effect by April 30.
“Speaker Johnson has this in front of him. The 1% cuts are by law. All he needs is a one-year deadline to implement them. And when the April 30 deadline comes, he can trade the cuts for something else. But he's afraid to even put a deadline on spending cuts,” Massie said.
Harris campaign official ignores press conference question; VP has not held a press conference in 33 days
Meanwhile, New York Rep. Nick LaRota questioned how Johnson would respond if the Senate sent back a “clean” short-term spending bill with no attachments, according to two sources.
Johnson said a partial government shutdown would threaten the 10 most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the House of Representatives, according to the sources. One of the two sources said Johnson responded that their plan was worth fighting for and that Republicans could not afford to back down.
“If we shut it down, we lose,” another Republican lawmaker said, speaking to Fox News Digital after the call.
The bill is expected to need a simple majority to pass, a tall order given Johnson's slim majority in the House of Commons.
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), who is retiring at the end of the year, made it clear on Tuesday that he opposes the plan.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has led the charge in supporting House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan. (Getty Images)
The bill has a strong supporter in former President Donald Trump, who, during an appearance on Monica Crowley's podcast earlier this week, urged House Republicans to use the government shutdown to pass the CR PLUS SAVE Act in March.
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But even if the plan passes the House, it is highly unlikely that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would adopt it.
Sen. Schumer, R-New York, told Fox News Digital about the plan: “As I've said every Congress, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan manner, and that's what's happened every time.”
A spokesman for Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is spearheading the CR Plus SAVE Act, responded by saying, “The Majority Leader's comments are encouraging given that the SAVE Act passed the House with bipartisan support.”
